Fire Emblem: Awakened Memories
by Hikatokage
Summary: Robin, after defeating Grima, was given another chance by Naga - but at what cost? Were his bonds strong enough so he could remain in the world that won against the Fell-Dragon? A re-telling of Fire Emblem: Awakening, with many twists and turns that make the story feel more complete!
1. Chapter 1: Making History

**Edited disclaimer: 31/01/18**

 **This chapter and a few others ahead are written in first POV, this changes to Third-Person " forever" after around chapter 4! I was still new to the writing scene, and haven't found my writing style until a couple of reviews improved me.**

 **If you see this message, that means I'm currently working hard to re-write this section of the story while posting chapters at a steady pace. So bare with me and give it a chance!**

* * *

 **Prolog: Making History**

The sound of rushing wind, and multiple voices behind me. I could hear them, yet not feel nor see who they were from...

"...WHAT... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The ominous and demanding voice exploded in my head.

"For once, I'm glad you and I are the same," A very familiar male voice responded back to it. "Now I can give my life to protect those I care for..."

"... YOU WOULD... NOT DARE!" This other being.., I could sense a great amount of fear in their voice, fear of losing to be exact.

"I would, and I will! The evils you would visit on this world are unthinkable," Yet this familiar voice, it sounded so determined, but... "In some way, I – we share the blame."

 _'Yes, this one had regret in their voice; while the other one knew it was done for...'_

"It's only right we meet our end together!" The sound of lightning bolts could be heard.

"...NOOOOOO!" A loud roar, from a creature that could only be described as a dragon from myths and legends, filled my mind.

I was suddenly filled with pain.., but somehow, it all seemed familiar. I somehow knew what was next, and what the person who I assume won the battle, would say.

 _'May we meet again, in a better life...'_ Those words filled the dark abyss with a small bit of warmth.

Countless voices shouted his name... Robin.., his name was Robin; such a name sounded so familiar to me.

 _'No, that name was mine wasn't it?'_

"Indeed, young warrior of light," A warm voice called out to me, it echoed in this dark abyss, where light couldn't exist. "You fought, and won a great battle – at the cost of your own life – and now you're currently in a place where life and death are indistinguishable from one another."

 _'Ah... Yet, I feel as if I'm not talking at all as if I'm only listening and thinking.'_

The voice giggled slightly. "A being without a physical body cannot talk with their lips, for they do not exist."

 _'Well, that wouldn't make sense, since I'm thinking without a brain and listening without ears.'_

"Robin, it is best you try not to make sense of this place."

 _'Then, who are you?'_

"Fear not, your memories will return and you'll remember me once more – rest Robin – you shall rise once again."

 _'W-Wait! I'm still unsure of what's going on..! Please.., don't go...'_ Thinking was getting harder and harder to do, and... and I'm starting to lose consciousness. _'Please, I don't want to be alone anymore..!'_

Instead of everything going dark as I lost consciousness, a bright light kept getting closer and closer to me, until it filled my entire field of vision.

* * *

I bolted up, gasping for air as cold sweat was felt going down my spine and other unpleasant areas. "W-What..?" My eyes soon squinted as I looked up upon a blue open sky and a bright summer sun.

Upon covering the bright sunlight with my right hand, I noticed a strange purple mark – it had symbols that looked like six eyes staring back at me – it somehow made me sick to the core and I quickly lowered it in shame.

For the longest time, I sat there listening to the birds chirping and the rustle of grass; refreshing was the only word that could describe how I felt.

In the end, I decided to stand up and look at my surroundings; grassy field with a river nearby was all I could see.  
As I walked towards the river, memories of my conversation with a mysterious being filled my thoughts – this included my name and hints of having a prior life – strangely enough, I couldn't remember anything else.

Either way, I lost track of where I was going and ended up almost falling into the rushing water. "I guess I'm the clumsy type?" I smiled to myself for some odd reason, as if the word _'clumsy'_ was nostalgic.

"I'm getting sidetracked," I looked down at the water and saw my reflection.

Platinum short messy hair with amber eyes, with pale skin to match with it all; to make things even more interesting, I was wearing a black coat with purple symbols that once again looked like eyes.

 _'I look rather weird,'_ I frowned slightly before glancing up – straight ahead of me – in the distance was a village of some sorts. "Hmm..."

 ** _..._**

The streets were buzzing with energy and activity, it was rather pleasing somehow; as if this is exactly what I wanted to see. My memories were still kinda foggy, but it was slowly coming back to me upon remembering a few keywords.  
For example, upon hearing the voices of the local townsfolks, I remembered that I was in a halidom called Ylisse.

I had stumbled upon the market, the smell of food was making me realize how hungry I was. _'I should check my pockets, maybe I have some money on me...'_ As I searched my coat, I realized I had two interesting items on me.

One of them was clearly the hilt of a blade, while the other one felt like it was a book of some sorts; naturally, I would have taken them out and inspected them, but in the public eye, such a thing was considered a bad idea for many reasons.

Either way, I didn't find any money on me which was a grave problem. "Maybe I should find a job," My eyes wandered for a bit until I spotted a building that clearly had a _'Wanted'_ sign.

A small smile appeared on my face as I walked towards it, dodging a couple of people minding their own business. The sign indicated that a restaurant was looking for an extra set of hands and that it was located near a church – it was next to the path that would lead to said church – across a nearby small bridge.

I took the wanted paper down and pocket it; finding this restaurant was the next big step. "It should be across this market area," People kept me from traveling too fast, this place was just so busy today.

 _'Busy..?'_ The word made me remember a kingdom of some sorts; the streets were filled with people, waiting to see a maiden with blonde and long curled up side bangs, all while wearing a green dress.

"Sir..?" A male voice made me flinch in surprise.

"W-What..," I looked around and noticed I somehow walked all the way up to the desired location without noticing it myself.

The owner of said voice was a large man that had black aging hair and white skin – he was obviously very old but could still beat me up if I provoked him. "I asked, why are you just standing there."

"Oh!" I pulled out the piece of paper in a panic. "You see, I-I was looking for a job, so I naturally found this wanted poster and went over here, and you know.., to get a job."

The old man looked at me with a raised eyebrow, before howling in laughter. "Such an odd laddie you are!"

"Laddie..?"

He nodded with a smile. "Anyways, get in here and I'll tell ya what your job is!" He turned around, allowing me to finally notice him wearing an apron.

 _'Huh, so he must be the owner and or the cook,'_ I thought to myself.

"Come on now, stop standing there already!" He said while holding the door open for me.

I nodded and walked past him. "Oh the name is Robin by the way," I surprised myself there, due to saying my name with such confidence.

"Robin? As in, the bird?" He laughed lightly before responding. "The name is Ray, and I'm your boss – the girl over there–" Ray pointed to a waitress, who seemed to be having trouble with a few drunk costumers. "Is Olivia, she'll be your co-worker."

The first thing I noticed from Olivia, was her pink hair and her quickly reddening face. _'She also seems to be being molested.'_ I walked over to the table where two drunk men sat, Olivia was trying to her best to get their orders but they kept calling her certain names I shall not repeat.

"Hey!" I called out to the troublesome duo, they turned their heads towards me and gave me a menacing stare. "Causing trouble is forbidden, I recommend leaving."

One of them stood up, obviously angered. "What did you just say, boy!?"

"I said, leave," My eyes narrowed and I puffed out my chest slightly, trying to use my full height to any advantage, sadly the guy was still taller than me.

The other man luckily stumbled over to his friend. "Let's just go man, it isn't worth the trouble."

"Bah, this place is full of shit anyways!" The man spat at my boots, bumped shoulders with me, and walked out while ranting to himself.

People were starting to whisper as the duo left, however, Ray was quick to stop them. "Sorry about that folks! Next drink is on me!" Everyone cheered in glee upon hearing this and things went back to normal.

"U-Um, T-Thank you," Olivia had approached me, with both hands held close to her chest while looking at the floor in a shy way.

"It wasn't a problem, don't worry about it." Honestly, this girl is pretty cute.

Olivia nodded. "Y-You weren't scared of them?"

An exhausted sigh left my mouth. "Are you kidding? I was terrified! But I'm glad everything turned out okay."

"And even so, you helped me..." She titled her head.

I chuckled lightly. "Yeah! I won't watch a co-worker of mine being bothered." Somehow, I felt more weight behind that sentence, but I decided to ignore it for now.

The sound of wood creaking was heard behind me, followed by Ray's voice. "This here is Robin, he'll be in charge of washing dishes."

"Yup – wait, what?" Ray simply laughed at my confusion and grabbed me by the hood.

"Into the kitchen, you go!" He practically dragged me away with a single hand.

 _ **...**_

It was already dusk fall, and I was able to get a proper room for the night. I was currently sitting next to a desk, writing on a small notepad that I had bought after work.

"Maybe if I can write what I remember, things will start clicking into place..." At the thought of that, I was already writing things such as my name, how I look, the word clumsy, and the voice that spoke to me, pretty much everything I did from the first moment I woke up in the field.

Sadly, something felt off; as if I wasn't entirely acting like myself – this made me anxious and kept me from writing any further at times – was I the brave type, or the distracted kind of guy, all of this was keeping me from advancing.

 _'I'm not too brave, those two guys at the restaurant honestly terrified me – maybe courageous? Nah that can't possibly be... Or is it?'_ I was leaning on my chair's back legs, twirling the pen in my fingers as if I done this many times before.

"Wait, I know!" At my sudden excitement, the chair squeaked and I _knew_ something bad was about to happen. "Well, there goes my mood for the night."

I fell backward to the ground with a loud bump to the head, causing me to groan in annoyance as I stood up and rubbed the back of my skull. After the pain subsided a bit, I reached into my pocket and took out the book that I felt earlier today.

Before I opened it, I placed it on my desk and sat down once more. _'Seems like a tome,'_ It didn't surprise me at all when I noticed the thunderbolt symbol on the yellow covering. _'So I was someone who can use magic, not to mention, I have a bronze sword on me.'_

I simply opened up the tome and was greeted with countless pages that had symbols I couldn't read – upon closer inspection – every page was identical from one another, same symbols, the same amount, the same everything.

"Whatever," It was best to just close the tome and head straight to bed at this point. "I'm sure Ray wants me to wake up early tomorrow anyway, best to get some shut eye."

The room went dark as I blew out the candle and felt my way over to the bed, once I found it, I sat on the edges and took off my boots and coat – it wasn't long till I was under my bed sheets and drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

The next day was bright as ever, with very few clouds in the sky; it was still early in the morning, many villagers were setting up their shops at the local market.

Robin had finally made his way through the streets and reached the restaurant he was working at. "Morning everyone," The blonde greeted Ray and Olivia, who were cleaning the tables.

"H-Hi Robin."

"Nice timing laddie! The kitchen needs some maintenance, I hope I can rely on you yet again!" Ray's voice echoed as loud as ever.

Robin gave the old man a smile before heading off to the kitchen. "Uh, he's a nice guy isn't he, Ray," Olivia said while adjusting her waitress dress.

"Hmm, a bit strange, but yes – Robin seems to be very observant but has a confident aura, with a kind demeanor." Ray smiled for a bit. "Anyways, let us get back to work."

"O-Of course!" Olivia rushed over to the next table and started cleaning it.

Meanwhile, Robin was already cleaning a few leftover dishes, his eyes were distant and it was apparent that the man was lost in thoughts once more.

 _'Something is eating away at me; as if today won't be safe,'_ The sound of the kitchen door opening caused Robin to stop what he was doing.

"Robin, we already have a few customers, time to shift gears!" Ray said happily while walking over to the stove.

 _'How long have I been..,'_ Robin looked out the window and noticed it was almost afternoon. _'I really need to stop entering these long trances.'_

And so, the restaurant was back in working order; until a disturbing event, a few hours later, occurred. Robin was drying one of the many plates he had washed until a loud scream made him flinch and drop the plate; Ray obviously yelled at him, but Robin ignored the older man and went outside of the kitchen in a hurry.

"What is going?" He said upon seeing Olivia, and a couple of customers, peeking out the windows.

Olivia turned to Robin with a terrified expression. "B-Bandits."

 _'Bandits..?'_ I thought to myself as I also looked out the window. _'What!?'_

From the looks of it, a ruffian was standing over a person.., no, it was a corpse – blood was starting to slip through the lines of the payment – I felt my blood boil with anger.

"Robin? Where are you going?" Olivia asked as I opened the door with a solemn face.

I turned slightly to see her worried expression, before facing towards the angering scene before me. "Making History."

As I approached the gang of bandits, one of them – apparently the leader – was giving out commands. "Grab anything shiny, and put the rest to the torch! We gots an example to show to these Ylissean scums!"

 _'Ylissean scums..?'_ Said word further improved my recollections of wandering around a large palace, but I was defending it from these shadowy figures.

"Hey!" I left my trance upon being shouted at.

The bandits, which consisted of two Mages, three sword wielders, and five axemen – including the leader – stood before me while giving me a menacing glare.

"Who the hell are you?" The leader said while taking the front of the group, ready to cut me down if needed.

My right hand went to the hilt of my sword just in case. _'Thankfully, I brought my weapons with me,'_

The ruffian got angered upon being greeted by my silence. "Ya looking for a fight!?"

"If you leave peacefully, no one will get hurt."

"Damn right no one will get hurt if YOU leave!" The man laughed, and so did his _'friends'._

Unlike before, when I stood up for Olivia, I didn't feel all too nervous; as if the thought of fighting to the death wasn't new to me at all. _'Just who was I?'_ My sword was already unsheathed.

"Huh? So you have a death wish?"

"The name is Robin, I will like to know your name before we do anything rash."

This simply made the man angrier. "All of Y'all, go and burn down this place, this one is mine."

Said bandits listened to his command and left without another word, taking various places around the market.

"Are you going to not answer my previous question?" I remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"Shut it brat!" The leader charged forward, axe raised above his head with both hands. "The weak doesn't deserve to know my name!"

My mind calculated the amount of power and distance his attack was going to be, allowing me to dodge instead of blocking. However, this bandit was quick enough for a follow-up attack – it cut the side of my cheek – causing me to stumble back, barely avoiding my head being chopped off.

 _'Now!'_ I pressed forward and launched an attack of my own, going straight for his neck.

The ruffian dodged it by ducking under my blade and tackling me, sending us both flying into a nearby food stand. I had my eyes shut tight due to intense pain that I felt on my lower back, but I managed to open them in time to block another attack.

"You're too young for this world, I think its time for ya to leave permanently and try again in the afterlife," The man had bloodthirsty eyes as he deadlocked our weapons, pushing my blade closer and closer to my neck.

 _'D-Damn it, my mind says I can do certain things – yet my body can't keep up – it's like I'm learning how to walk all over again, even though I know exactly how it works!'_ At this point I was starting to lose stamina, the man had all of his weight and strength on top of me.

Somehow, in that moment I was reminded of how I felt upon besting many hardships – even if I couldn't remember what exactly these hardships were, it made feel that I wasn't truly in danger; as if I have seen much worse.  
With all my might, I slid the man's weapon to the left – sparks flew as our blades created friction – and made him miss my head by an inch.

I touched his chest and smiled. "Looks like the scales tip in my favor!" A bright light was starting to glow where my hand made contact with his skin. "Thunder!"

The electrical explosion sent the leader flying a few feet away from me, this allowed me to stand up and make a run for it for now. "Time for a tactical retreat..!" My eyes scanned the area as I ran the opposite way from this whole ordeal.

At the stop of my sprint, I noticed that I was already exhausted. _'Yup, this body isn't fit at all to what I'm apparently used to back in my prior life,'_ I bent forward and put both hands on my knees, gasping for air.

A shadow loomed over me, but I quickly relaxed upon hearing a young female voice. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Just a bit tired and shaken up, nothing I can't handle..." I smiled before standing up properly, making eye contact with a girl who had blonde hair tied up in two pigtails – another thing worth noticing was her battle dress and stave. _'A cleric? Wait, how did I know that?'_

"You're bleeding!" She pointed at my cheek before holding up the staff towards it. "Here, let me patch it up real quick..."

This young maiden seemed so familiar to me. "Thank you.., Uh?"

"Lissa! My name is Lissa, what is yours?" She gave me a sweet smile.

"Robin," Once she was done repairing my small injury, she stepped away. "Did you come here alone?"

"Uh no, my Brother and Frederick are currently fighting." Lissa pointed to the market, and sure enough, I noticed an armor plated Knight riding on a horse with a Silver Lance in hand – he also just stabbed one of the Sword-users in the chest – while another guy with a white cape and radiant blue hair fought an Axe wielder with his sword.

"We need to go help, stay close to me Lissa!" I said while running back to the heat of the battle.

The Knight saw both of us and directed his horse to me. "Who are you?" The man narrowed his eyes and seemed ready to pierce me with his weapon.

"Someone who knows their way in a fight, and wants to help as much as possible!" I responded while taking notice of an incoming enemy Mage, who was taking aim at the bluenette. "Thunder!"

"Wind!" The enemy mage shouted as he countered my magical attack.

The bluenette noticed this and turned towards us. "Come over here!" I shouted at the man.

He nodded and made a run for it, while I gave him more cover, countering any magical attacks coming our way. Once we all re-grouped a good distance away from all the fighting, we were able to talk peacefully for now.

"Milord, this gentleman has lent us his strength." The one on the horse said with a solemn face.

"Ah, strength in numbers – glad to have you..,"

"Robin," I replied with a small smile. "Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

"My name is Chrom, and the delicate one is my sister, Lissa." Chrom's statement made Lissa hop in place.

"I am NOT delicate!" She argued back while sticking her tongue out at her brother.

This caused me to chuckle lightly, I felt relief – as if I knew these three for a long time. "And I assume you're Frederick."

The Great Knight nodded, however, Chrom spoke up. "Ah yes, you're also welcomed to call him _'The Wary'_ if you so please."

Frederick's expression didn't change. "A title I shall wear with pride, gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution."

"Speaking of caution, we should address the battlefield before us," I spoke up suddenly – kinda surprised myself there honestly – which got the attention of everyone. "I'm well studied in the arts of tactics, and I know how to fight my way to victory if needed."

Chrom gave me an raised eyebrow at first but ended up giving me a hopeful smile. "So you're a Tactician?"

"I assume so? Sorry, I must have bumped my head yesterday, for I've been suffering from lack of memory for awhile now."

Lissa gasped in surprise. "Hey! I heard of this before, its called amnesia."

Frederick nodded, I could see a bit of concern in his eyes. "Are you sure you can fight?" The Knight asked.

"Of course," I unsheathed my sword once more. "Frederick, you took down one of the Sword-users, if I remember correctly, two more should be left; Chrom and I should take down the other Axe wielders, while Lissa stays in the back."

After I was done talking, I quickly notice that the trio stood there quietly. "Ah, sorry – I didn't mean to command you guys or anything, please, only follow my orders if you want to."

A chuckle – coming from Chrom – lighten up the mood. "Worry not friend, we're simply impressed by how you're able to use swords, sorcery, and strategies to such an extent."

Before I could say something, I saw a barbarian out of the corner of my eye – behind Frederick and Chrom – he was already raising his axe, going for a deadly strike.

"Thunder!" The small ball of electricity flew past both my newly found allies and hit the foe dead in the chest. "Chrom!"

The bluenette turned quickly and slashed the stumbling ruffian across the chest; Frederick commanded his armored steed to step forward, allowing him to thrust his spear through the man's stomach.

Lissa hid behind me as two more foes – Sword-user and a Mage – rushed over to aid their now dead friend.

"I'll cover both of you from the Mage, get the other guy!" I shouted while casting another spell. _'A single barbarian should be left in this market area, I should keep an eye out if they don't take him out first.'_

"Right!" Chrom rushed in, shouting a war cry as he ran.

A circle – consisted of golden ancient symbols – appeared before me, as I started chanting a few words under my breath. _'Surely the enemy spellcaster has a higher tolerance to magic then the others, I need to make sure this shot takes him down.'_ My eyes locked onto the guy with a huge pointy hat.

"Thunder!" The lightning bolt pierced through the air, but ended up missing my target by an inch – this, in turn, made my foe spot my location – I did my best to conjure another spell, but it was too late and I was forced to dodge with Lissa.

"R-Robin, are you okay?" She asked a bit shaken up from the sudden event.

 _'Such a brave person she is,'_ A warm smile was all I could give her for now before I stood up and located the enemy mage once more.

"Wind!"

I dodged out of reflexes, a blade of wind barely missed my head as I rolled to the side and landed on a knee. "Thunder!" Once more, my spell barely missed as my foe ducked behind some barrels.

This gave me some time to adjust my tactics with the current battlefield, Frederick and Chrom had taken out the remaining barbarians and swordsmen.

Lissa came out of hiding. "Maybe we can sneak up on him,"

"We can try," I pulled out my sword and made my way to the spot I last saw the spellcaster.

Luckily enough, we took the side of the stack of barrels that was opposite of where we were prior; from the enemies point of view – so the Mage had his back turned to us.

I spun my sword in hand just for shows. "Looking for something?" Honestly, I couldn't help but smile upon seeing the look on his face.

"G-Get away!" The man started preparing another spell, but I closed the gap between us and held my sword with both hands; it took one slash across his guts to send him stumbling backward, and lung attack to the chest to end his life.

It felt odd killing a man, there was a lot of weight – the flesh and blood kept struggling against my blade as if the body was trying to resist this finality... _'First time I kill someone, but why doesn't it feel like that?'_ I pulled out my weapon from the corpse, letting it drop to the ground, as I flicked the blood off my sword.

When I turned, Lissa had averted eyes. "Why.. –" Was the only thing I could understand from her whispers.

"Because, some lives must be ended, in order to protect others," I replied without thinking twice. "These people– These monsters.., gave in their humanity long ago and now seek the blood of the defenseless, I won't stand around doing nothing as I watch these wolves eat away at my sheep!"

"Aptly put, sir." Frederick's voice alerted me of Chrom and the Knight himself, standing behind me.

I did a full one-eighty and rubbed the back of my head with one hand. "Sorry about that, I guess something inspired me."

Chrom nodded, still having a smile on his face. "Worry not, for I feel the same way."

At first, I stared at their faces, filled with determination and courage. _'I'm starting to remember them.., they were my first friends.'_ My eyes glanced at the bridge that led to the Church, where the leader stood.

"Only two Axe wielders, two swordsmen, and a Mage are left; Frederick, get the sword users, while Chrom and I get the rest," They nodded in understanding. "If needed, push them off the bridge, that'll buy us some time if they start overwhelming us."

* * *

Prepare yourselves, boys!" The leader announced as they spotted Robin's group approaching them.

"Hey Boss, I don't think we can handle these guys!" The spellcaster shouted.

This obviously didn't make the leader happy. "Shut your trap before I shove this axe up your arse!"

"Incoming!"

The sound of a galloping horse was all the Ruffians heard before Frederick broke through their ranks with a single charge, the knight quickly engaged with the last Sword-user. A war cry was followed shortly, followed by the sound of lightning bolts; one by one the invaders started to fall until only a Mage and the leader himself were left.

It wasn't long till Robin countered any magic attacks with his own, allowing Frederick to run through the mage with his lance. "You sure put up quite the show up until now," Robin said casually as he approached the leader.

"... Damn you..!"

Robin tilted his head in confusion. "Damn, me? For stopping a criminal like you? Sir, I'm very positive that you must have known this would happen sooner or later."

"Robin.., I'm going to make sure I see your lifeless eyes before they kill me; ya hear me!?"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you..," Robin took a battle stance, one that was known to be used by swordmasters. "It's just you and me, I promise you that."

Naturally, this angered the Barbarian even further. "You think of me lightly?! Even after I almost killed you back there? Boy, I'm going to rip–!"

"Thunder!" Robin interrupted whatever speech the leader was going to do, by forcing him to dodge. "Less talking."

"Oh, that's it!" The ruffian took out a handaxe and threw it, Robin dodged out of the way and charged forward while dragging his blade on the payment.

 _'This isn't my fighting style, but I feel like it'll help me greatly..!'_ Robin went for an upwards swing, scraping his foe across the chest. "Nothing angers me more than seeing you dastards hurt the innocent!"

"I hate ya types, always talking about heroic shit!" The barbarian took a step forward and swung high, forcing Robin to duck. "You're too naive! Life isn't always sunshine and rainbows!" He then went for a knee attack.

 _'Checkmate,'_ Robin barely managed to dodge and wrapped an arm under the ruffian's leg before standing up and tripping the other leg, sending both men to the ground. "Tell me your name!"

"G-GET OFF!"

The Tactician had already dropped his blade, opting to reach for his tome in the process. "Then I guess I'll prove I'm not the weak one here!" Robin, in his mind, repeated the ancient words that were inscribed in a different tome he just remembered.

"ArcThunder!" A circle appeared underneath the barbarian on the payment itself – the tactician had summoned it with his left hand and was already planning on moving out of the way.

Two orbs of light appeared above the Leading invader. _'Guess this is it...'_ He closed his eyes and received the powerful thunderstrike.

Robin gasped for air as he stood there at a safe distance away, still on guard just in case. "Is it over..?" He muttered to himself. _'Casting spells without a tome is super-tasking...'_

"Yes, I believe so," Chrom said while both Lissa and himself rushed over to the exhausted Tactician, who barely stood on their own two feet. "Mind-healing him, Lissa–"

The sound of someone shifting made Chrom unsheath his gold and silver blade, everyone observed how the Barbarian stood up slowly – eyes cascaded in shadow due to his hair – and upon pointing at Robin, Chrom was ready to charge forward.

"Wait, Chrom..," Robin held an arm out, in front of the bluenette.

"Gar..–" The man muttered; no one said anything, letting the man try once more. "Garrick..."

 _'That is his name...'_ Robin pieced together in his head with a sad expression.

Garrick made a motion to say one last thing, however, his dying breath was heard and he stood in place stiffly.

 _'The poor dastard, it wasn't until his deathbed came, when he finally told me.'_ The sound of Frederick's horse moving was the only sound that filled the air, it was shortly followed by a loud thump, once the Great Knight pushed Garrick off his feet effortlessly.

 _ **...**_

After the bodies were moved out of the way, the local villagers started patching up the village as much as they could. Sadly, some buildings were lost due to the fires, but none of the villagers seemed to get hurt in the end – which was worth a great value in Chrom's eyes.

"Milord, did you notice? The brigands spoke with a Plegian accent." Frederick mentioned after the small trio were out of earshot of the public.

Chrom let out a tired sigh. "They just keep trying to initiate war don't they..."

"And it's the poor townsfolks that suffer!" Lissa remarked with a saddened tone. "They're totally innocent and helpless."

"They do have us Milady," Frederick said with a prideful tone. "Shepherds to protect the sheep; however, careful not to let anger be swept up in your mind, it will cloud your judgment."

"I know, I know; I'll get used to it eventually, but Brother, what are we going to do with Robin?" Lissa asked casually as she sat on a barrel, next to a standing Chrom.

"Honestly," The bluenette eyed the currently working tactician, who was happily helping with the rebuilding process of a roof. "I might just end up inviting him to the shepherds. What do you think, Frederick?"

The Great Knight simply closed his eyes. "If that is what Milord wishes, I will not stop you."

Chrom chuckled. "That's as close to a yes I'll ever get from you..." Frederick didn't respond, which made Lissa giggle.

"Well!" She hops off the barrel. "Let's go invite him! He such an amazing fighter, and is great with tactics, what CAN'T he do at this point."

Chrom nodded. "Right," The trio moved over to where Robin was – once he was in earshot – Chrom called out to him. "Robin, can I speak with you for a bit?"

Robin – who was on a ladder – glanced down before nodding. "Sure thing, what do you need?"

"I wanted to invite you to the shepherds," Robin, upon climbing down, gave Chrom a confused look. "It's a group that specializes in missions that the Army of Yliss can't solve quickly, we dedicate ourselves to protecting others from bandits and the plegian barbarians you just saw today."

 _'Hmm, something tells me I should join them,'_ He ended up agreeing with Chrom with a nod. "Just let me say goodbye to a few people I met yesterday."

"Of course, we'll be waiting right here."

And with that, Robin took off to the restaurant where Ray and Olivia were. _'Hopefully, the fire didn't spread over here...'_ Thankfully, his co-workers were standing outside, talking with some local townsfolks.

"Olivia, Ray!" The two of them turned their heads towards me.

Ray had a happy expression on his face, however, Olivia gave me a death stare. "Robin! How dare you risk your life like that, do you have any idea what they could have done to you!" She suddenly said while walking over to me.

My eyes widen. "S-Sorry!"

"You better be!" Olivia was now in front of me, poking at my chest with a finger. "We were worried sick!"

Ray, on the other hand, laughed loudly. "I haven't seen Olivia act like this in awhile! You really had us worried, young lad – but for what it's worth, you did well."

Slowly, a smile appeared on my face, which in turn made Olivia sigh before giving a smile of her own. "G-Good job Robin, the t-town might had ended up in a much worse state if it wasn't for you." She was back to her shy self.

"It wasn't a big deal, the shepherds arrived and did most of the work – Oh! Speaking of which, I came here to say goodbye actually."

Ray and Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Goodbye?" They said in unison.

I nodded. "I've been invited into the shepherds, and I believe I want to continue helping others – it just feels like the right thing to do."

Ray whistled in amazement. "Getting invited into such a group isn't an easy task, you must have really impressed them out there."

"D-Do your best, and make sure to stay in touch with us," Olivia said with somewhat teary eyes.

"Gah! Are you crying, Olivia?!" I was about to offer the sleeve of my coat, but she waved a hand in decline.

"I-I'm just getting a bit emotional, even if we only met for a day, it was fun working with you; just stay safe, please."

"R-Right.., I'll do my best," I looked at Ray, who was giving me a look of approval.

"Just wait here, I got something for you."

As I watched the old man head back into the restaurant, I couldn't help but wonder what it could be. _'Maybe a new book..?'_

Before I knew it, Ray was back with two bags – although one of them was merely a pouch – and handed them over to me. "The larger one has some leftover bread, the pouch is your paycheck."

"Didn't you just pay me yesterday?" I raised an eyebrow.

Ray chuckled. "Yeah! So get going before I regret paying your arse double the money!"

This made me sincerely smile at his kindness. "Thank you, Ray..." I turned and started walking, only turning my head slightly for a few final goodbyes. "Stay safe, both of you!"

 _'I'm starting to remember more and more, but by joining the shepherds, I'm bound to remember a lot of things – maybe they can shape me up as well, it's painfully obvious that I'm out of shape in this body...'_

It wasn't long till Robin reached his fellow Shepherds – who were still waiting for him – the trio greeted the tactician with nods and smiles, and they were finally embarking towards the horizon that was illuminated by the sunset.

* * *

 **AN: Trying something new, hopefully, everyone enjoys - feel free to leave a review or any type of constructive feedback that can improve the story.**

A little side note as to why I made this tale; honestly, I just didn't feel like the ending was true. You could easily pick the option "Don't let Chrom deliver the final blow" and get the happy ending, this is what inspired me to make this story - what if you couldn't access this ending unless you got every support conversation in the game, just like Naga says: If Robin's bonds are strong enough, he'll return.  
Well in this timeline, Robin delivers the final blow anyways, but his ties in the previous world just weren't strong enough for him to remain in it; Naga, on the other hand, was grateful enough to give him a second chance.

 **And this is how our Robin embarks on a new journey with tougher foes than he previously remembered. (Inspired a bit by Lunatic/+ but with realism obviously.)**


	2. Chapter 2: The World With Similarities

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Fire Emblem Series, this is a fan made project; all content goes to their rightful!**

 **AN:** Whoa, I didn't expect to receive this much attention... Thank you, everyone; who gave it a read, and especially to those who went out of their way to drop a review or click the follow/favorite button. (I'll answer some questions at the end of this chapter when it comes to "Guest" Reviews, due to not being able to PM back.)

 **Anyways, I'm trying my best to fight this story with the Monday schedule - sadly I missed it by one day - so it can flow with my other stories properly, but that's enough chit-chat, let us start the story!**

* * *

 **The World With Similarities...**

"I told you – It's getting dark already!" Lissa groaned as we took a short break on the dark road. "...Ech! And now the bugs are out!"

The simple view of her waving both hands around was amusing. _'Although, she has a point,'_ We are in the middle of a forest trail, and the large trees prevented moonlight from showing us the way.

"Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl all over and bite you when–! Agh! Won goph in mah mouph!"

Everyone – except Lissa – couldn't help but laugh at the _delicate_ cleric. "Aw, come on now, Lissa," Chrom said with a bright teasing smile. "Hardship builds character, for example, you could help me gather up some firewood."

Lissa was doing her best to cough out the bug but failed. "... I think I swallowed it..." She muttered bitterly. "And I'll pass on finding firewood, thanks – I'm pretty SURE I built enough character for one day!"

I did my best to not chuckle, so I resorted to having an amused smile on my face. "We should probably think about food, I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Frederick's armor clanked as he moved his hands – gaining our attention. "Yes, I believe a little hunting and gathering is in order; now, who will like to clear a campsite for us."

Chrom lifted a hand. "Lissa and I will do just that, once I find some firewood."

"Oh, I would like to help with hunting," I offered, glancing at the Great Knight, who I assumed would want to join me.

Frederick nodded. "Very well, we each have an assigned tasked."

Before we departed, I left my bag of extra food behind and followed the Knight that was already heading into the woods. "Any idea what we'll hunt?" I asked the man.

"Anything we find and that will serve us of great use."

 _'I kinda expected such a straightforward answer that leads to zero conversations,'_ I inwardly sighed at myself, but I ended up remembering one small thing. "Frederick, you tend to train troops when they enter the Shepherds, right?"

"Indeed so, but I have no recollection of ever telling you that." Frederick glanced at me from the corner of his eye.

This made me panic a bit inwardly, and apparently, I'm great at hiding some of my emotions with ease. "Lissa mentioned how I would suffer the first few weeks."

Thankfully, the Knight believed my story, for he chuckled. "I'm sure you'll do just fine, milady is simply exaggerating."

 _'Exaggerating...'_ The word made me remember a simple phrase: Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour, it made me shiver to the core. _'Something tells me Lissa wasn't exaggerating at all.'_

 **...**

The sound of the fire crackling filled the air as we – or rather, Chrom and I – ate our meal with gusto. "It has been so long since I last ate bear meat!" Chrom said with a smile as he finished. "I forgot how delicious it was."

Lissa on the other hand, let out a loud sigh. "All of this could have been avoided if we stayed at the village..." The cleric muttered softly.

"What's wrong, Lissa? Dig in." Her brother said with a neutral expression.

"Pass!" Lissa gave Chrom a disgusted face. "... Gods, why couldn't you spear us an animal normal people eat for once?" Lissa eyed the two hunters, Robin and Frederick, although the former was eating mindlessly. "I mean, you're meddling with the food chain!"

Chrom smiled lightly at his sister. "Just eat Lissa, meat is meat. Just look at Robin, he seems to be enjoying it just fine!"

"Since when does meat smell like old boots! Wait, I take that back – boots smell better!" Lissa shouted back.

Frederick decided to step in. "Every experience makes you stronger, milady. Even those we don't enjoy."

"Oh, really? Then why don't I see YOU eating, Frederick."

"Me?" Frederick gave her a cheerful expression, but it seemed off – a bit nervous somehow. "Oh well, I'm not hungry... I.., I had a large lunch – Yes, quite."

Robin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. _'He's obviously lying, and just convinced himself with his own words.'_

Even Lissa didn't believe the Knight. "Yeah right, Frederick!"

Chrom and Robin laughed at the scene, which was enough to allow Chrom to try and converse with the Tactician. "I have a few questions, Robin."

"Hmm, go ahead; although I don't promise any answers." I put aside my meal for now.

"I have never seen your outfit before, do you know where you come from?"

 _'Come from?'_ It was sudden, but my mind screamed to say I was from the desert regions... _'Plegia.., isn't Ylisse fighting against Plegia right now? Maybe it's in my best interest to not tell him this.'_

"Robin?" The bluenette pulled me out of my reverie.

"Most likely up north, assuming this coat is to prevent the cold; honestly, this thing looks weird to me now that I mention it." I raised an arm and showed the sleeves.

Chrom nodded slowly. "Yes, the symbols on it are off-putting, to say the least; truly, have you forgotten so much of your past?"

Robin nodded with a sadden expression. "Unfortunately, yes." The Tactician noticed Frederick giving him a curious eye. _'He's indeed the Wary One, I must be careful with what I say.'_

Lissa let out a sudden yawn. "I'm gonna go ahead and turn in early,"

Everyone seemed to have nodded to this and soon followed suit, letting the sound of fire crackling lullaby them to sleep.

* * *

A sudden rumble woke one of the shepherds up in a slight panic. "...Huh?" Chrom sat up straight before standing up.

The sound of his armor clanking woke up Lissa, who gave him a drowsy and confused stare. "What's wrong, big brother?" She stretched and yawned while Chrom looked around for a bit.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, but... Something is amiss,"

"Define _something_ ," Lissa looked around with a worried expression.

"I'm not sure.., but I think I'll look around the area for a bit." Chrom turned and was about to walk off, but Lissa quickly followed behind.

"Not alone you won't! I'm coming with you," She said with a somewhat hushed tone.

Chrom smiled. "Heh, thanks, Lissa."

The duo walked deeper into the woods, it was painfully obvious that something was indeed off – the air was tense and the forest was silent.

"It somehow got even darker, and where did all the birds go?" Lissa commented as they took a short break.

"Yeah, something is indeed wrong here," Chrom whispered back, feeling the intensity of the situation.

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard and the entire earth started shaking. Lissa shrieked while calling out to her brother, while Chrom did his best to maintain his footing.

"What is this madness! Lissa, stay close!" The bluenette reached out for the cleric with a hand, which she accepted gratefully.

They both sat on the ground, waiting for the tremors to end; however, they didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon – in fact – some trees in the distance started collapsing.

Chrom's eyes widen as he watched the trees, starting to fall one by one towards them. "Lissa, run."

Lissa looked up from the safety of her brother's arm. "W-What?"

"I mean it, go!" Chrom quickly helped her get up and gave the cleric a slight push, Lissa ran off without another word. _'What in the world is going on!?'_ Chrom looked back once more before sprinting after his sister.

Not a second sooner when he started running, the earth gave away and molten lava poured out from the cracks as the ground shifted and started elevating – creating a cliff behind the duo – the skies lit up as flaming boulders and rocks of different sizes flew through the air.  
Lissa kept running as fast as she could, as the entire forest started setting off in a sea of flames, Chrom ran past her and gestured to follow him – a sharp turn to the left almost made the cleric fall, but lady luck was on their side.

"Jump!" Chrom yelled, taking the lead without hesitation.

Lissa didn't have time to question him, so she took a leap of faith. "Aah!" This saved them from being crushed underneath a boulder.

They kept running, until the heat and fire dissipated, allowing them to observe from a safe distance.

"T-This..," Lissa gasped for air. "Can't be happening..."

Chrom was speechless as he saw the landscape turn into a living nightmare. _'We need to get out of here–'_

Lissa looked up and noticed a white light in the sky. "Chrom!" Her brother turned his head. "What is that!"

The bluenette followed her finger and his eyes widen. _'N-Now what..!?'_ He watched the light collapse in on itself, absorbing all the light around them, in a flash, everything turned black and white.  
Suddenly, a black hole - encircled by a golden ring with symbols - appeared in the sky; an unidentifiable sound was heard as a blue portal took over and was summoned.

It got brighter and brighter until something really disturbing happened to it – weird human-like creatures groaned as they force themselves through this mysterious gate, they fell straight to the ground in front of the two siblings.

The duo watched the invaders rise from the ground, standing up in a weird matter as if they lacked any remorse for their well being or the feeling of pain. These... _t_ _hings_ had dark purple skin with rusted worn out armor, their mouths were also stitched up.

Their red eyes lit up upon locking onto Chrom and Lissa. "Lissa, you better stand back." The bluenette unsheathed his golden fuller and silver edge sword.

After assuming a battle stance, one of the beasts groaned at him before charging forward with their axe raised high.

 _'They have an obvious fighting pattern,'_ Chrom thought to himself as the creature jumped into the air, which he swiftly countered by extending a foot forward and slashing the invader across the guts.

Chrom's blade cut through effortlessly – which surprised him – however, he heard the beast move. _'It's still alive?!'_ The bluenette turned in time to block an incoming attack, locking weapons with it.

Even with just a single arm, the creature was extremely strong, Chrom was having trouble with the deadlock even when using both hands.

 _'W-What are you!?'_ He mustered his strength, breaking the deadlock with a side swing and exposing its back – this allowed Chrom to elbow the foe's spine – upon causing the creature to stumble back and fall to the ground, Chrom jumped into the air and brought his blade down upon it.

The creature roared in anger but soon went limp, turning into a purple miasma right underneath the bluenette.

 _'T-That was too close, what is even going on anymore?'_ Lissa shouted for help, causing Chrom to instantly look up in horror.

The cleric was up against a boulder and had nowhere to run, the deadly human-like creature raised their axe while Lissa closed her eyes and held their staff in front of herself for some protection.

"Lissa!" Before Chrom could run forward, someone in a blue attire fell from the portal and ran towards the endangered blonde.

This mysterious person blocked the incoming attack by standing between the beast and Lissa, blocking the axe – with the flat of the blade – by holding their sword behind their own neck with a single hand.

Lissa opened her eyes slowly, she gasped upon realizing what had happened – her savior was wearing a mask and had short blue hair with very pale skin – this person was having trouble keeping the monster at bay. "Help!" They shouted at Chrom, which managed to get him out of his shocked state.

"Right!" He started running with a war cry, causing the monster to lift the Axe slightly, getting ready to cut Chrom down.

The newcomer saw this, and turned immediately, striking the foe across the stomach – while Chrom landed a blow across its back – they maintained their end position until the strange being fell to the ground and turned into smoke.

Lissa watched with widening eyes as everything went quiet. _'I'm actually quite terrified!'_ She thought to herself while observing the masked man.

Both swordsmen sheathed their weapons, Chrom turned and gave the masked individual one final glance before speaking. "Quite an entrance, what's your name?"

Before they could respond, the sound of a horse galloping through the woods drew Chrom's and Lissa's attention – the masked swordsmen disappeared before they noticed – it was Frederick and Robin, much to their relief.

"Milord! Milady! Are you hurt?" The Knight said as they approached the siblings.

Robin quickly dismounted the horse and looked around, ignoring the comment Lissa made about a strange masked man saving her. "These creatures.., do they have a name?" The Tactician was having another strange case of deja vu upon seeing the undead.

Chrom walked up to him and observed as well. "No, I have never seen them before in this halidom, I can assure you that."

Frederick let out a loud sigh of relief. "Thankfully, no one is injured.., we can worry about the masked man later – after we put these... things, to the blade."

Robin – upon overhearing this conversation – turned to look at Lissa and Frederick. "Right, but we need to form a plan or else we'll be in real trouble; fire is starting to spread and the smoke is getting thicker and thicker as we speak." the tactician suddenly spotted two structures in the distance. "Wait, are those..?"

Frederick rode up next to them for a better view and nodded. "Abandoned forts, yes."

"We should seek shelter in them, it'll get us out of harm's way from the fire," Everyone nodded at the idea. "Frederick, Chrom, and Lissa, head to the one south from here, I'll get this one that is nearby."

However, Chrom didn't like this idea. "Wait, you're going alone? I'm sorry, but that's a bad idea."

Robin smiled at the amount of concern the bluenette was showing. "Worry not, Frederick will be able to ride between both fortress and lend me some backup if needed; for now, just follow my plan and trust me – I'm sure it's more important for Frederick to protect both of you."

"What?" Chrom narrowed his eyes. "Robin, never sell yourself short, ever again."

 _'Whoa, I think I struck a nerve by accident,'_ He simply nodded in response. "Just trust me this once, Chrom."

The bluenette stared into his eyes, trying to find any trace of doubt, but gave up with a sigh. "Fine, just don't push yourself."

And with that, everyone moved into position – it was obvious that there were a few invaders to deal with as they walked towards the Shepherds.

* * *

Robin neared the fort, and ran past the ancient gate, running straight for the wooden door that led into the old stone tower.

I bashed the door open with my shoulder, and charged inside, looking for a staircase. _'Hopefully, my body can keep up, I'm not exactly very fit at the very moment,'_ My hand instinctively went for my bronze sword just in case, as I went up the stairs.

Once I reached the last floor, I randomly decided to speak. "Whoever is in here, you should help me defend this place or both of us will end up being killed." Sometimes I did stuff without thinking, and this was one of those times.

Light footsteps were heard, as someone in blue attire came out of the shadows. "How did you know?" They questioned me in a low tone.

"I didn't," A smile appeared on my face. "Anyways, I assume this means you'll help."

At first, they just stood there, which put me on edge for a bit, their mask made it impossible to know what they were expressing. "If you insist,"

 _'Masked swordmen... This is the person Lissa was talking about,'_ Their blade was what caught my attention, it looked exactly the same as Chrom's sword. _'I also can't help but sense a bit of familiarity.'_

We both glanced out the window, observing how the undead moved towards the forts we Shepherds resided in.

"Seems like they can sense the living," I commented.

"Not exactly," The masked individual pointed out the window. "Look closely, the one that looks larger then the rest is the leader, it is able to do basic strategy and command the smaller ones."

Upon taking a moment to search for this _leader,_ I did manage to spot a slightly larger – and most likely stronger – undead walking in the backlines, following the smaller troops. "If we take him down, will the others fall apart?"

"Correct, they lack any intelligence without a leader – and will be easier to cut down." Their voice was a bit off as if the tone was being adjusted constantly, but I ignored it.

I opened my mouth to say something, but an unmistakable shine made me duck. "Archer..!" We both took cover, away from the window.

 _'The thing didn't shoot, but it was taking aim...'_ After a second or so, I crouched walked under the window and went over to the same side my new ally was sitting at. "We need to go back downstairs and get rid of the melee fighters, once we get rid of them, we lure the archer inside and attack it together."

"Right..." He slowly got up, which made me notice how thin he was.

 _'Their voice is setting off some strange alarms in my head as well,'_ It was honestly starting to give me a headache, but I did my best to just fight through it. _'This person obviously has some malnutrition issues, taking that into account, they probably can only fight one of these creatures by themselves before getting overwhelmed.'_

I got up and followed the swordsmen down the stairs, and It wasn't long till we reached the front door I foolishly broke down. "Sir, you do realize it was open." I could feel them raising an eyebrow at me.

"L-Look, I was in a full sprint and.., forget it," I looked outside and noticed two foes approaching us, one wielded an Axe and the other one was a sword wielder. "What are these things even called?"

"Risen," Upon hearing that, flashes of disturbing memories filled my head – unlike before – these were painful and caused me to collapse to my knees as I clutched my head. "Ro– Sir, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, we need to get rid of them; sword vs axe, go!" I commanded the masked swordsmen.

They left without a word, and I soon followed suit – charging with my sword in hand – engaging with the other Risen.

This creature went for a quick thrust, forcing me to side step and counter with a strike of my own – the risen simply ignored the pain and went for another attack – but since it didn't seem to care, I had no choice but to step back a bit.

My eyes locked onto my foes blade, it had a white blue glimmer to it – alarms were set off in my head – suddenly it groaned and charged forward at high speeds.

The sound of two blades colliding was heard as I blinked. "I'll keep you safe!" This masked fighter said while kicking the Risen away after their swift block.

I steeled myself and held my blade with both hands. "My turn!" A single dash was enough for me to strike at its neck.

"Allow me!" We waltz around each other, this allowed the masked swordsmen to land another powerful blow.

Both of us watched the Risen vanish with a puff of smoke. "... Thanks, I didn't expect it to do such a thing."

This person's voice was a higher pitch while they were yelling their next move, which made me start suspecting foul play.

"Don't worry about it..," They stood up straight, but I could tell their legs were shaking from exhaustion.

 _'This person isn't being honest with their gender, but that doesn't matter right now.'_ My eyes caught a glance of an Archer entering the fort. "Careful."

We readied ourselves, as the Risen took aim with their bow, pointing it straight at me; with a sidestep, I managed to dodge it and keep running towards cover.

As I hide behind some collapsed statue, I switched out my sword for my tome and prepared a spell. _'C'mon Robin, don't miss like last time against that one Mage...'_ A small golden circle appeared before my right hand.

"Hey, I'm over here!" I glanced up, the bluenette waved their hand at the Risen – it took aim and shot at them, forcing them to dodge back into cover – this allowed me to stand up and take aim while the creature reloaded its arrow.

"Take this, Thunder!" The ball of light traveled through the air and landed dead on. _'Alright!'_

While I mentally cheered to myself, my ally ran towards the stumbling archer with great speed – their speed completely belied their obvious exhaustion.

Obviously, I did my best to run after them; sadly before I could reach the fight, it was already over. _'Well, I miscalculated, this person can EASILY take care of these creatures on their own.'_

"We should take out the leader," They said while sheathing their weapon.

A chuckle escaped my mouth, which prompted them to tilt their head at me. "Sorry, but you should really stop masking your voice, you're making it more obvious."

In response to this, she just stood there in silence; plus I could tell their cheeks were getting redder from the embarrassment. "W-What are you talking about?" To prove a point, she did an even deeper voice.

I simply shrug my head. "Your secret is safe with me – I can promise you that – but for now, let us just get rid of these monsters."

We both walked out the gate and saw two Risens in the distance, one was the obvious leader, while the other was merely a minion with an iron axe.

"Sir-"

"Robin, just call me Robin."

She nodded. "Robin, I advise we take care of the lower ranking Risen – the leader will take both of our best efforts if we want to take it down successfully."

"Very well, I'll see if we can do a hit and run tactic."

* * *

Chrom and Frederick were taking care of any undead entering their fort, while Lissa stood in the back and healed whoever retreated for a small break.

"Milord, a hammer wielder!" Frederick made his steed jump back swiftly, allowing him to retreat momentarily.

Chrom charged forward, blade glowing with a dim radiant blue light as he ran. "Face me!" He stabbed the Risen through the chest but was fully aware it wouldn't fall from that. "Your end has come!" Chrom kicked the creature back and did an overhead strike, slicing its head in two before it turned into smoke.

"Is that all of them?" The great knight asked.

"I believe so–"

"Captain Chrom!" A female lancer with short red hair – matching color armor – rode up towards the trio. "I knew I shouldn'ta left ya, what in gods is going on here!"

Chrom smiled. "Sully, glad you could find us – Err, who is him?"

Sully looked back and sighed. "Some weirdo who has been following me."

This _weirdo_ had long blue light hair and was holding an iron bow. "A weirdo? No, you have it wrong! I am, Virion, the myth, and legend! The one who strides large across history's greatest stage! The man who puts the "Arch" in Archer! The man–!?"

Sully kicked the man straight in the face. "Shut ya trap already! Do you want me to shove this spear up your arse!?"

Everyone just watched in confusion as Sully kept kicking the now weeping man – who was on the ground in a fetal position – until she finished ranting. "Like I said, this is the weirdo, also known as Ruffles," She said with an annoyed expression.

Lissa started laughing uncontrollably while Chrom couldn't help but smile, Frederick on the other hand, was serious as ever. "We should focus on the task at hand." The Great Knight said.

Sully quickly perked up upon hearing this. "All right, you ash-faced freaks! Which one of ya wants to try my lance on for size first!" She rode off towards the battlefield, shortly followed by Frederick.

Virion struggled to get up from the ground. "Do you mind healing him, Lissa."

"Sure thing, big brother!" The blonde said with a smile, still fighting back her little fits of giggles.

 _ **...**_

Robin and the mysterious swordswomen danced around the large risen with perfect synergy. _'I somehow recognized her fighting style, it's actually very similar to Chrom's.'_ The duo both attacked with blades, weaving underneath any axe attacks the leader threw out at them.

The leader was disturbing to look at, Robin noticed while taking a small break, the _thing_ had long hair with a stitched up face; wearing no armor from the waist up and moved around awkwardly with three of its limbs, like some sort of gigantic ape.  
Normally Robin would wait and observe its patterns, while his teammate fought, but he felt very familiar with it and was able to keep up with it alongside the masked fighter.

"Robin!" She shouted his name, as the leader swap targets without any warnings.

The Tactician blocked the lung attack, barely enduring the force as he was pushed back. _'This thing is insane!'_ It rolled to the side and ran off; jumping into the air while throwing a hand axe at the blonde.

It managed to nick his shoulder. _'D-Damn it, I was too careless!'_ Robin thought while looking at the cut; before he knew it, a shadow loomed over him and caused the Tactician to glance up just in time to block an aerial attack.

The Risen forcefully open its mouth – stretching the stitches – and roared at the Tactician, letting loose a dark purple miasma straight at his face. Robin held his breath, but the gas was causing his eyes to water.

"Unhand him!" The sound of blade sinking into flesh was a good indicator of what happened, however, the undead creature simply ignored the pain and kept putting pressure on the deadlock; all while exhaling this dark purple smoke.

Robin was forced to slide the axe towards the left – breaking the deadlock – but before he could get away, the Risen punched the man straight across the face and sent him hurling to the ground.

 _'Whoa, that was pretty painful,'_ The wounded Tactician leaned his weight on an elbow and readjusting his own jaw. _'Surprise I didn't lose a tooth.'_

"Get away from him, this instance!" Her voice made Robin realize where she was – right in front of him – it was surprising to see how much willpower this swordswoman had.

The Risen roared in anger before charging forward – taking long strides in quadrupedal form – before leaping high into the air.

"Roll, Robin!" They dodged to opposite sides from one another.

"Thunder!" Robin shot a rather weak spell, but it was enough for a distraction.

"Ha!" The sound of her blade making contact soon followed.

My teeth clenched as I saw the beast turn towards the Swordswomen, raising their weapon once more. _'Gods! Just DIE already!'_ I stood up and started conjuring a large spell, one I wasn't expecting.

A triangle of light appeared underneath me; as it was encased by a circle, I took a deep breath and took a step back – a golden ring of electricity appeared at the front – aiming straight at the enemy Risen. " **Thoron**!" I slammed a foot forward and extended both hands.

The sound of thunder was heard as an arrow of light flew at high speeds, my ally backflipped out of the way as the bolt pierced the creature – instantly incinerating it into ashes.

We both stood there in silence, a smile appearing on my face. _'If only the edges of my vision weren't getting darker, I would have said I was completely fine.'_ the world spun and I felt my body slam itself onto the ground.

"Robin!" Her voice felt distant... but I remembered it now.., yes; her name was..–

* * *

My eyes watched in horror as the Tactician collapsed to the ground. "Robin!" I ran over to his fallen body.

"Robin, please wake up!" I said while kneeling down and shaking his limp body. _'N-No, I have seen this before – it has happened to one of my friends, Robin has run out of mana and lost consciousness.'_

Before I could think any further, the sound of horses approaching us made me look up. _'So they have arrived...'_

"Robin!" This voice, it was from Chrom, he was riding with Sir Frederick, and I also could see Sully and Lissa following them.

Chrom rushed over to us. "What happened, is he alright!?" He also kneed down and looked at the fallen Tactician, however, he was afraid to touch the man in case it was a grave wound.

"He pushed the limits of his body, by casting a powerful spell without the help of a tome," I explained with my fake voice.

Lissa rushed over to us. "Move aside, let me handle this!" Both Chrom and I moved with a bit of hesitation.

"H-How rude!" I turned to see an archer approach us, he seemed to be out of breath. "Leaving the g-great Virion behind!"

"Oh for crying out loud, what can I do to shut yer trap up already!?" Sully shouted in both annoyance and agony.

"It is simple, milady, take me with you so I can watch your beauty blossom like a flower in the middle–!?" It wasn't long till Sully started kicking the man repeatedly.

Deciding it was best to ignore the shouting and begs for mercy, I turned and watched Lissa replenish Robin's energy.

"Mmm..." Robin seemed to shift slightly, before frowning and opening his eyes. "W-What..? Did we win?"

Lissa let out a sigh. "Yes, we did win, but you pushed yourself too far!"

"I agree with Lissa," Chrom also started scolding the Tactician.

It was at this moment that I decided to stand up and slowly step away, however, Sir Frederick noticed this. "Ah, so you're the young man that helped milady, and milord."

Chrom overheard this and nodded. "Indeed, you saved my sister's life; my name is Chrom, might I ask yours?"

Everyone stared at me with curious eyes, even Sully – who held an unconscious Virion over her shoulder – waited for my answer. "You may call me Marth." Even if they couldn't see, I was staring at Robin, who had a sly grin on his face.

 _'I should have expected this, no way was this disguise going to fool the greatest tactician to ever live in Ylisse...'_ Luckily the man promised to not say anything.

"Marth?" Chrom raised an eyebrow to this. "After the heroic king of old? Well, you sure fight like a hero."

Lissa nodded happily to this. "Yeah! You were really brave, for what you did to save me."

"Indeed, where did you learn to fight like that?" Chrom's question made me uneasy, but I managed to hide any reaction due to being rather exhausted.

"I'm not here to talk about me, this world teeters on the brink of a horrible calamity – what you saw today was but a prelude - you've been warned," Lissa questioned what I meant as I turned and left the scene, but I ignored her, for I couldn't risk having long conversations with them – Robin already figured out part of it – if anyone else knew my secret, things could go out of hand.

Everyone stood there in confusion, watching _M_ _arth_ enter the forest, and then she was out of sight. _'I wonder why she is hiding her identity,'_ Robin thought bitterly, sadly his newly obtained memories didn't tell him anything but her name. _'Lucina, that name echoes in my head – I feel nostalgia behind it, yet a bit of guilt and regret...'_

Frederick spoke up. "We should make haste to the capital, considering what we just saw here, for I am worried on how it affected the people there."

No one argued, so they made way to leave. "Wait," Robin stood up quickly, which made him stumble a bit, Lissa steady the blonde. "I left some stuff at the camp, I'll be right back!"

"Robin, you shouldn't be running!" Lissa called out, but self-health was the last thing on his mind while jogging away.

 _'Lucina was completely out of energy, and not only that, something tells me she has no currency for this world–'_ He spotted the campsite and quickly grabbed the bag and pouch Ray gave him, putting the latter one into the former. _'Now to find her..'_

As Robin ran through the forest, he quickly notices his body begging to stop, but the Tactician felt like this was the correct thing to do; as if he was regretful for not doing it before.

 _'Wait, was that?'_ Something caught his eye – a blue cape to be exact – out of the corner of his field of vision.

"Lucina! Wait!" Almost instantly, he halted – the lone Tactician cursed himself – due to realizing his mistake. "D-Damn it, Robin..."

Out of the corner of his eyes, something – or rather, someone – moved in the shadows, and the person in question walked into view. "Surely, not even the great Tactician could possibly know such a name."

Robin gulped slowly. "It was just a mere guess."

"A mere guess? Just like how you knew where exactly I was in the fort?" Lucina held the hilt of her sword.

"Believe me when I say; everything will be explained in due time, so, for now, accept this gift." Robin placed the bag on the ground and started stepping back slowly.

Lucina didn't move from her position, but it was so easy to feel her glare. "Explain."

Robin halted after they were a couple of meters apart.

"I have memories.., memories of a prior life where I met all of you – they're just coming back to me – but not all of them have returned, I don't know what your purpose is or where you come from but I know your name and gender." This was enough to make her relax a bit. "I'm sure we'll meet again, and if I remember anything else, I'll let you know."

For the longest time, Lucina didn't say anything, so Robin took this as his only chance to leave. "Hold up," Upon hearing her voice, the Tactician froze. "You better keep your promise, Tactician."

At first, he didn't understand what exactly she meant by that, but then he remembered what happened back at the fort. _'I can't tell anyone about her real name and gender, and in the back of my mind, I somehow find it very easy to agree with her.'_ A nod was his only answer, as he left without another word.

Lucina glanced down at the bag and walked over to it cautiously. _'Surely it can't be a trap; my father trusted this man with his life,'_ The swordswomen picked it up and noticed its weight, curiosity took over as she peeked inside.

"Food..." She was surprised – such a thing like bread was nothing but a luxury for her – Lucina also noticed the small pouch and almost ended up dropping it upon seeing what it contained. "M-Money as well.., Robin."

Lucina stared at the path the Tactician took. "Thank you..." A small smile tugged on her lips.

 _ **...**_

As I trekked through the woods and reached the road that would lead to my friends, I couldn't help but look at my hand – the strange symbol was still there – which made me want to buy some gloves really badly.

 _'Luckily no one has noticed it,'_ I glanced up and saw the shepherds up ahead. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Chrom asked once he noticed I returned empty handed.

"Sadly, no... The camp was destroyed – big hole in the ground basically."

They seemed to believe me, most likely due to already expecting the worse. "Let us move on then," Chrom announced. "Hopefully the capital didn't suffer too much damage."

"So it isn't that far from here?" I raised an eyebrow since they seemed to be implying that this capital could have easily been hit by this catastrophe.

Frederick answered this with a solemn face like usual. "Indeed, which is why we should make haste."

Lissa groaned at this. "We haven't had much sleep, and now we need to hurry?"

"Come on Lissa, just hang in there a bit longer and you won't have to join us again!" Chrom teased her with a smile.

"Not join you!? Sorry, but I'm completely determined to get used to this.., just not at this very moment."

"Sounds like someone is the lazy type," I muttered under my breath.

"What did you just say, Robin?" Lissa said with a rather... Menacing smile.

 _'Somehow, I feel like I won't make it out of here alive – not because of the Risen and bandits – mostly due to these people.'_ I didn't answer her question, which made her back away with a ' _hmph_ '.

Chrom chuckled at this. "The sun is already rising, and once we exit these woods we should be able to see the capital's outer walls."

"Can't wait to see it." I cheered, however a question suddenly dawned on me when I looked at the unconscious person on this other cavalier's shoulder. "So, who are those two? Are they part of the Shepherds or something?"

The rider answered my question. "Name is Sully, an ace fighter of the Shepherds."

"And that's apparently Ruffles – I mean, Virion!" Lissa giggled to herself after saying this.

"Virion..?" I noticed the extra bow strapped on Sully's horse. "Is he part of the Shepherds as well?"

Chrom shook his head. "Nope,"

"Ruffles is just some weirdo who followed me after finishing my mission," Sully answered while shifting the weight of the man a bit. "Dastard wouldn't shut his trap I tell ya, would have shoved my lance up his sorry arse AND left him in the ditch if I didn't have a reputation to maintain."

"Hmm, well I for one, believe an archer would be a great asset to the team – err, but that's just me, no need to listen to what I say." I couldn't help but feel guilty for speaking out of line constantly as of late.

"No, no, if the Tactician says he believes an archer will do us good; then most likely it is the truth." Chrom smiled after saying that. "Don't sell yourself short, friend, you have an important role now. What you showed in the previous battles, shows how much you deserve such a position."

"R-Right..." The sun was well above the horizon now – dawn was starting to end. _'Hopefully, I can do this role justice then.'_

* * *

 **AN: Like I mentioned prior, I'm going to try my best to post exactly on Monday - today I failed due to only having a window between Friday and Monday, hence the drop in quality of this chapter.**

Now, on a side note, I'll answer a Review that a Guest left: Yes, Olivia was mentioned very early in this story, however, it has nothing to do with Chrom!Olivia... The reason I included her so early was due to her resume, which says that Olivia travels around while dancing and showing off her talent to people across the continent. When you meet her for the first time in the _GAME,_ Basilio says that he saved her from a man that wanted to kidnap the women (Force marry her), and thus, she has been loyal to Basilio from that day forward.

I just wanted to add a bit more of backstory and some perspective of time to the character! Feel free to correct me if there's an official timeline to when the two meet.

 ** _Till we meet again, in the next chapter!_**


	3. Chapter 3: The Shepherds

**Disclaimer: In no way do I own the Fire Emblem Series, this is merely a Fan-made project, all content goes to their rightful owner.**

 **AN: You know, I'm really astonished to how many follows the story got... Seriously, I have no words - for I am sure it wouldn't be enough to express how grateful I am! Thank you for the kind reviews, follows, and favorites everyone; this fills me with energy to keep trying to improve.**

 **Time to start our adventure...**

* * *

 **The Shepherds**

Before we arrived at the capital, Sully and Virion parted ways – taking a different route – since they were apparently heading over to the Shepherd's Garrison that was apparently our headquarters, located not too far from the capital itself. **  
**  
As for the capital of Ylisstol; once we arrived and went past its large stone walls, the streets were filled with energy as we went by – it was such a beautiful sight with all the stone buildings and clean streets – many food stands and stores decorated the sidewalks, filling the air with different aromas.

"It appears as if this location didn't suffer any damage," Frederick mentioned as we headed down a narrow alley. "Thank the gods the chaos we encountered was only limited to the forest."

Lissa skipped forward and turned to face us as we entered the main street. "Well, that's a relief!"

I nodded in agreement. "Indeed, there are so many people here, it would have been terrible if they suffered what we saw."

Before anyone could continue the topic, we heard an old man shout. "Look! The Exalt has come to see us!"

Everyone – and I mean everybody in that street – turned to the left, and people started walking out of their stores. My eyes scanned the direction everyone was facing until I noticed a few Pegasus Knights walking down the street, heading towards the palace while guarding someone.

 _'I'm having a strange case of deja vu – no wait, this is exactly the memory I regained back at Southtown.'_ As if on cue, a specific individual caught my attention, she had blonde hair that with curly side bangs. "She's your ruler? The Exalt, that is."

Frederick's voice – he was behind me – was heard. "Yes, her name is Lady Emmeryn."

 _'Emmeryn...'_ The name had an eery feeling of dread and guilt behind it, those two emotions seemed to swirl all over the place at the mention of such a name. "Is it safe for her to walk amongst the commoners?"

"Of course," Chrom responded while looking at the Exalt with a smile. "She's a great symbol of peace."

"And one of Ylisse's most prized quality," The Great Knight added in. "Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the Fell Dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low; Exalt Emmeryn reminds us of said peace we fought for back then."

It was an aspiring tale, but I couldn't help but feel my heart sunk at the mention of this _Fell-Dragon..._

"With Plegia poking at our borders," Chrom clenched his fist, I could tell how irritated the man was. "The people need her. She's a calming presence; when some Rulers might otherwise call for war, Emmeryn does her best to avoid it at all cost."

A smile appeared on my face. "The people of Ylisse are lucky to have her then,"

"She's also the greatest Sister!" Lissa cheered casually.

"Yes, I'm sure she would be – Wait, sister?" This made me take quick looks at Lissa and the Exalt, the former nodded with a smile. "Wouldn't that make you and Chrom–"

"Prince and Princess of the realm." Frederick chuckled lightly.

"I am so sorry for my dreadful manners, milord, and milady." I bowed slightly to the two royals. _'Why didn't my head tell me this before!?'_

Lissa giggled and Chrom simply smiled. "Worry not, I'm not one for formalities – Chrom is enough."

"Uh huh! Big Brother is right, no need to treat us differently!"

"I can see why Frederick endures all the teasing now," I muttered while giving the brave Knight a bit of pity.

Frederick noticed this and sighed. "Indeed. Oh the sacrifices I make for the good of the realm..."

"It looks like Emmeryn is returning to the palace. Would you like to meet her, Robin?" Chrom offered.

This made me want to take a step back. "Whoa, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Of course, you're the Shepherds Tactician, and I'm sure Emmeryn would like to hear about your good deeds."

"Hmm, well if you insist."

 _ **...**_

The road up the hill – that led to the palace – held few buildings, but it was covered with a golden landscape due to the impressive amount of Wheatfields being held. "There's a great amount of wheat around here,"

Lissa – who was walking alongside me – nodded. "That's our winter harvest, it should be ready next month!"

"So summer just started," It was easy to feel the blazing sun due to the clear sky.

"Yeah, and I can't seem to understand how you can handle such heat while wearing a coat like that." The Princess pointed out with a somewhat confused but interested expression.

"Somehow, this coat breaths easily and also handles the cold pretty well," I said while pinching the fabric on my sleeve and observed it. "I have no clue what it is made off."

"You should let me wear it someday! It looks comfortable."

"Heh, I'll think about it."

A shadow loomed over us, which made me notice the great wall we had reached. "Prince Chrom!" A knight bowed their heads slightly. "We shall open the gates at once."

 _'The castle has some nice defense, especially how the palace is at the top of a large hill – if we can have archers, they'll have a great advantage due to the high grounds–'_

"Robin!" Lissa shouted, already waiting with Frederick and Chrom on the other side of the gate.

My face was starting to heat up. "S-Sorry!" I sped walk to make up for my trance.

The Prince chuckled. "Someone seems to be daydreaming,"

"I was admiring the palace, it seems so perfect for countering any type of attacks... Not the kind of place I would expect from a peaceful kingdom."

Chrom gave me a blank look – he didn't respond to my statement – and simply nodded. "This is the main courtyard,"

 _'Hmm, that was kinda off.., maybe I said something out of line again.'_ My eyes followed his finger – which pointed to the left of the palace's entrance – it was a vast garden, decorated with trees, statues, and fountains.

"And over there, is where most of our Pegasus Knights land or train, alongside some of our Infantry Knights." Sure enough, on the opposite side was a track and field, a couple of soldiers were sparring from the looks of it.

"Very impressive, probably the best castle I've ever seen – cause you know, lack of memories." I smiled at my own joke.

Chrom chuckled. "We should head to the throne room and meet Emm."

We followed the stone payment until we reached the stairs that led to a large door – a pair of Knights opened it – which allowed us to enter a hallway.

The corridor was very pleasant, having a long carpet at the center while the edges near the walls were made out of marble, this gave it a good sense of quality to the eye.  
Once again, another door was open and it presented us the throne room; said area had pillars to the side, some decorated with torches and others with green banners, behind those stone pillars were the windows.  
The floor itself was pretty much the same as the previous corridor, but the carpet was a lot wider; everything was well lit due to the expensive chandeliers, hanging a fair amount of distance above us.

"Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home," The Exalt greeted them with a gentle tone. "Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all?"

It was subtle, but I noticed Emmeryn giving me a small glance of curiosity while Chrom spoke. "Well – We shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while."

"Wonderful. And our people?"

"Safe as they can be, Emm. However, we still need to watch the borders closely." Chrom took a deep breath before letting out a sigh. "The brigands we put a stop to, crossed over from Plegia..."

Upon hearing this, a pegasus knight walked over to us, she had short white hair – tied up in a donut – with red sharp eyes. "Forgive me, milord; my pegasus knights should have intercepted them."

"No, Phila, your duty was staying here with the Exalt," Chrom replied kindly.

Lissa turned to face me with a smile. "And besides, we had plenty of help!"

The Exalt quickly took this as an opportunity to meet me. "Ah, you speak of your new companion here?"

"This is Robin," While Chrom introduced me, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as Emmeryn looked at me. "He fought bravely with us against the brigands. I've decided to make him the tactician of the Shepherds."

Emmeryn smiled and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Robin, for helping Ylisse – you have our gratitude."

"N-Not at all, milady... I only did what was right." I said the latter in a low tone.

"Forgive me, Your Grace," Frederick spoke up suddenly. "As much as I want to believe Sir Robin, he claims to have lost most of his memories, but it is just that: a claim."

Chrom turned to face the Great Knight with a betrayed look. "Frederick!"

"I am sorry, milord. But I can't ignore the possibility of Robin being a Plegian spy – it is just a mere observation – but I for one, want to believe his innocence."

 _'Frederick...'_ I glanced at the Knight, grateful for having him on my side, even if he did just call me out.

"Yet you allowed him inside the castle," Emmeryn was looking at both of them. "Does this man have your trust, Frederick, Chrom."

I noticed this wasn't a question from her part, but a passive order. "Of course he does, Emm! He saved our people while risking his very own life – no brigand or spy would do that without hesitation."

Frederick nodded. "He protected milady, while I couldn't..." He sounded disappointed with himself, or so I noticed.

Emmeryn turned to face me, jade color eyes looking into my own. "Well then, Robin." The suspense was killing me, it felt like this person was judging my very soul – that feeling vanished upon seeing her warm smile. "It seems you've earned Chrom's and Frederick's faith, and as such, you have mine as well."

"Your Grace." I smiled back, feeling much better, as a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.

"And thank you, Frederick, for your prudence, as always – Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have such a tireless guardian." The Exalt said in a warm tone along with her peaceful smile. "I do hope they remember to mention how grateful they are, from time to time."

Frederick bowed slightly in appreciation. "They occasionally express something akin to gratitude, Your Grace." The man was referring to their constant teasing. "Phila, I'm sure you have heard of the deathly creatures we encountered, yes?"

"Yes, milord. They've been sighted all across Ylisse."

 _'Well that can't be good,'_ Recollection of how difficult it was to take down the Risen filled my mind. _'We need to do something about this problem.'_

"Chrom," Emmeryn spoke up suddenly. "We are about to hold a council, I was hoping you could join us."

The Prince didn't respond right away, I could sense a bit of hesitation. "Of course." He finally said.

Lissa walked over to me and grabbed my arm. "That's our cue, Robin!"

"Cue?" I tilted my head as the princess practically dragged me away.

"Yup! There's a place I want to show you." Once we left the throne room, Lissa spoke up again. "I find councils VERY boring, but luckily you're here, I have the perfect excuse to leave!"

"Glad to see I'm merely an excuse," I muttered under my breath.

"Oh don't be like that, you know I'm just joking." Lissa finally lets go of my arm once we reached the courtyard.

"Where are we going anyways?"

Lissa skipped ahead and did a small twirl, before stopping to face me with a cheerful smile. "The Shepherd's headquarters!"

* * *

Robin and Lissa reached a small building that was located near Ylisstol's capital, a good distance away from any villages or other structures.  
The building was surrounded by a grassy field, a forest, and a lake – Robin quickly noticed two familiar faces at the training grounds that was next to the garrison.

"Is that Sully.., and Virion?" He asked the energetic Princess.

"Mhm, seems like it! I'm pretty sure Sully is just doing her usual training, while Virion is annoying her-" As if on cue, Sully started smacking the Archer with a practice sword. "Hehe, called it."

"We should just head inside," Robin said with a dumbfounded face, unable to understand how the man hasn't given up.

Lissa went ahead and opened the wooden door. "It isn't much, but here it is! Our precious headquarters!"

The place seemed pretty spacious, with boxes and tables scattered everywhere, it pretty much looked like a storm recently went by the place. "Huh, I assume this is where everyone hangs around," Robin said while taking in the place.

"Oh, welcome back, Lissa!" A brunette walked down a set of stairs, she was wearing pinkish armor that went well with her long brown hair that was held in place with a pin that resembled pegasus wings.

Before Lissa could greet the women, someone else shouted her name in a panic tone. "Lissa!?" A blonde ran out of a nearby room, she had long curls neatly held in place by two large white ribbons on opposite sides of each other and was wearing a pink with white rider's outfit.

"Lissa, my treasure!" She shouted while running up to the Princess. "Are you alright? I've been on pins and needles!"

 _'So she hasn't slept, while being anxious during Lissa's absence,'_ Robin thought to himself. _'Wait, since when did I learn how to translate such a language?'_

"Oh, hey, Maribelle!" Lissa said casually.

Maribelle simply narrowed her eyes. " _Oh hey,_ yourself! I've sprouted fourteen gray hairs fretting over you!"

"Aw, you worry too much! I can handle a battle or two." Lissa giggled happily, almost puffing out her chest in a prideful manner for experiencing what she did. "... Although, I could do without the bugs and bear barbecue..."

Another person – male this time – walked out from the same room Maribelle came from. "Hey, squirt! Where's Chrom? I bet he had a rough time without ol' Teach and his trusty axe!"

"Oh, so you're _Teach_ now, huh Vaike, is that it?" Lissa responded with a smile. "And here I thought some people were just born lacking wits. It can be taught?"

Vaike didn't seem to catch on to what the Princess was saying. "Ha, never doubt the Vaike! … Wait, was that an insult!?"

 _'Ah, so he's the slow type...'_ Robin thought as he observed the tanned skin tomahawk wielder.

This Vaike person, had spiky blonde hair that was held back with a hairband and held a large Iron axe over their shoulder, and just like the Risen we fought, used almost no armor above the waist – only a bronze arm guard and leather leggings protected the man – which made Robin assume it was meant for more mobility.., or to show off his muscles.

"Beg pardon," The – who I assume is a pegasus rider – brunette spoke up a bit nervously. "But when will we might see the captain?"

"Poor Sumia," Maribelle let out a sigh and shook her head. "She's simply been beside herself with concern.., she might have earned fewer bruises fighting blindfolded, for she was just too busy scanning the horizon during training."

Sumia simply blushed a little, while Lissa giggled. "Aw, Sumia, that's so sweet of you to worry about Chrom."

The pegasus knight shook her head. "W-Worried? I – Um.., well he's our captain and our prince; of course I'd be worried." Sumia looked down while tapping her fingers.

Robin held in a chuckle. _'Gotta admit, that's adorable.'_

This made Vaike finally notice Robin. "So, who's this stranger?" He said while giving the tactician a glare, head to toe.

Robin was about to say something, but Lissa gestured at the tactician with a _'Surprise!'_ expression with both arms. "No one is stranger than you, Vaike! But let me introduce Robin; our new member and tactician of the Shepherds!"

"N-Nice to meet you all," I said while bowing slightly.

Lissa jumped up while spreading both hands high in the air. "You should see all the tricks he got up his sleeve!"

 _'P-Please Lissa, you're embarrassing me!'_ Was what I wanted to say while I took a step back from the huge amount of energy she was expressing.

Vaike chuckled. "Oh yeah!? Can he do this?" He then let out a monstrous burp.

I pinched my nose and took a small step back. "Ahaha... No, I believe I have much to learn when it comes to the belching arts, _Teach_." After giving the man a casual smile, I took this as an opportunity to remark my previous greetings. "In any case, it's a pleasure to make you acquaintances."

Maribelle looked the other way in disgust while fanning the air with her hand. "Ugh, Vaike! That was abhorrent! Must you baseborn oafs pollute even the air with your buffoonery?"

 _'Ouch, although I don't think Vaike understands how hard she just offended him...'_ I glanced back at the man in question, he was simply picking his teeth. _'Yup, I was right.'_

"And you, Robin!" Her shout caught me off-guard, making me flinch and blink twice. "Don't encourage him! I'd hope you were cut from finer cloth. Hmph!"

We all stood there, watching her leave the room – returning to the one she previous left from. "You know, that was pretty messed up, I can't even defend myself due to not having memories of my family..." I muttered a bit offended by her comment.

"Don't take it to heart, Robin," Sumia quickly reassured me. "Maribelle warms to people slowly."

"Or burns too quickly!" Lissa said cheerfully as ever. "But yeah, just give her time."

Suddenly, the door opened, and Chrom walked in with an unreadable expression. "Captain!" Sumia cheered. "You've returned! I was – I mean, we were so–"

In that exact moment, Sumia walked forward and somehow managed to trip over nothing, slamming face first into the ground and laying there for a bit. _'… Interesting..?'_ I really didn't know what to say to this as I watched the brunette get up.

Chrom went over to her and made sure the pegasus knight was alright. "Are you alright, Sumia?!" Chrom's body language completely changed from serious to concern. "Those boots of yours again?"

Sumia started panicking from the embarrassment. "No! I mean, yes! I mean..." She let out a sigh and decided to give up.

Meanwhile, I just stood there with a dumbfounded expression. _'What did I just witness? These two are a thing aren't they, its painfully obvious and I'm technically the new guy here.'_

After that whole ordeal, the Prince spoke up in a serious tone. "Listen up everyone, in the morning, we'll be marching to Regna Ferox."

 _'Regna Ferox..? That is the kingdom north from here, ruled by two Khans, East and West.'_ The information flooded into my head with just the mention of said word. "What for?"

Chrom glanced at me before answering. "We need their strength in order to quell this new menace, the Risen – typically the Exalt would request such aid in person; however, given the recent events..."

"She'll need to stay protected in castle walls," I finished his sentence.

"Exactly, and people will worry if she suddenly vanished," Chrom added while crossing both arms. "That's why the task has been passed to us."

 _'Seems logical enough, especially given how strong these Risens were, and if what they say about Regna is true – about how they're all tough warriors – we would have an easier time fighting them.'_

"Now," Chrom spoke up once more. "This mission is strictly voluntary. So if, any–"

"I volunteer!" Lissa cut in.

"Me too! You'll be needin' good ol' Teach for such a delicate mission." Vaike laughed with confidence.

"I'll go as well." A random voice said from who knows where. "What? I have been here the entire time."

 _'Where is that voice coming from!?'_ I looked around, but no one seemed to notice the voice except me. "I think I need some sleep..."

Chrom laughed. "You'll be sleeping at the castle tonight, Robin, make sure to rest well."

"Seriously..?" I was surprised to hear such a thing.

"Yup, the Shepherds usually sleep at or near the palace, or at least, most of them do." The prince reassured me.

Sumia took a step forward. "I um..."

"Yes, Sumia?" Chrom tilted his head.

"It's just that... I don't think I'm ready for a proper mission just yet," Sumia held a disappointed posture, but I could see how much she wanted to join us – something I'm sure Chrom notices as well. "I'll probably get in the way."

"Well, you could stay behind the main group, and if a battle occurs; seizing the opportunity to watch and learn from a distance is vital, there are just things you can't learn without experiencing the real deal." The bluenette advises with a gentle smile. "It is completely your choice, of course."

Sumia looked down at her feet and nodded. "I-If you think it is wise, Captain."

"Just stay by me, and you'll be fine."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the scene, I crouched down and whispered in Lissa's ear. "Please tell me they're an item."

Lissa covered her mouth and giggled, before shaking her head in denial. "My Brother is too dense." She whispered back.

While we were trying our best to not laugh, Sumia nodded happily with flushed cheeks. "Oh, of course! I mean – Yes, sir! I'll do just that!"

 _ **…**_

"So this is your room," Chrom opened a door, revealing a spacious quarter. "There isn't much, but feel free to add things to it."

My eyes scanned the place, it gave me a strong sense of nostalgia. _'This was my room back then as well..,'_ The place had a single window to the right, with some empty bookshelves next to it; while the bed sat at the back end – opposite side of the door – which had a desk between itself and the bookshelves.

Chrom walked over to a door on the left. "This is the bathroom, and that should be it, aside from these drawers." The prince knocked on the wooden dresser that was next to the bathroom door.

"Pretty cozy, thank you, Chrom," I smiled in appreciation. "Ah, by the way, do you have any book that rosters all the Shepherds?"

The prince gave me an odd look. "A book.., no why?"

"You see, I was planning on getting to know everyone and keep track of their weaknesses and expertise."

Chrom just shook his head. "Well, I'm afraid I can't help you in that matter, if you need a journal or notebook, just let me know."

I simply nodded and let out a small yawn. "Very well, goodnight Chrom."

"Night.., Oh and Robin, great work – you have me impressed." And with that, the bluenette left.

 _'Great more pressure! I always welcome such a thing...'_ With a tired smile, I walked over to the bed and took off my boots. _'Goodbye crazy world, hello dreamland!'_

Robin didn't bother taking off his coat or moving the blankets, he was completely out cold upon laying down on the soft and welcoming mattress.

* * *

The next morning was a cloudy one; as all the Shepherds stood outside in the fields, Robin took in a deep breath. It had rain during the night and it was starting to show with how fresh it felt, along with some cold morning breezes that carried the smell of wet grass.

"Robin," Chrom walked up to me, handing over a small piece of paper.

"Hmm?" I glanced at the sheet, it explained who would come along and their weapons. "Thank you, Chrom."

The prince nodded. "Sorry if it isn't too detailed, I did it myself last night."

"No, this is more than enough!" I looked down at the piece of paper and noticed we had another cavalier, who was named Stahl and a mage, Miriel. "We're missing two of our allies."

Lissa overheard this. "What!?" She quickly glanced at a nearby Vaike. "Vaike! Did you forget to tell them!"

Vaike turned his head – he was having a conversation with Sully – and gave the princess a blank look. "The Vaike never forgets! … I just don't always remember, is all." The axe wielder defended himself.

"Ugh..." Lissa face palmed. "I swear, you'd forget your own name if you weren't constantly saying it yourself!"

Before Vaike could say anything, a male voice shouted in the distance – a man with olive messy hair rode up to us – they let out a sigh of relief upon reaching us. "Why am I the last one to hear about this expedition to Ferox?"

"Stahl, buddy ol' pal!" Vaike gave a cheerful expression. "Glad to have you along!"

Stahl narrowed his eyes. "That makes one of us. I was in such a hurry, I had to miss breakfast – I mean, they had muffins, and cake, and..– well I can tell you more during our march."

Chrom let out a chuckle. "Vaike forgot to tell you."

"Speaking of Vaike forgetting things," Lissa shouted. "You better not forget your axe this time!"

While Vaike explained that he wouldn't forget his weapon, I decided to greet this person. "Your name is Stahl, right?"

Chrom cut in as well. "Oh, I'm sorry, Robin. This is Stahl, one of our finest."

"Hello Robin," The Cavalier smiled while extending a hand. "Miriel told me we had a new Shepherd."

I accepted the small handshake. "Miriel?" The name was on the piece of paper Chrom handed over to me.

"Er, Miriel is one of our mages, she should catch up soon," Stahl explained with a carefree smile.

 _'He seems like the relaxed type,'_ I made the small mental note.

"Alright everyone!" Chrom got everyone's attention. "It's time to move out."

Sumia walked up next to me, she was holding an iron lance tightly, which prompt me to speak. "Nervous?"

"O-Oh! Y-Yeah, this is my first real mission; can't help but feel like I'm going to mess it up." The brunette muttered, wearing a fragile smile of self-pity.

"You'll be fine, Sumia. Chrom believed in you and encouraged you to come, that means you're more than ready to join us." What I said was enough for the pegasus knight to look at me with a surprised expression, before smiling and nodding in appreciation.

"You're right, thank you, Robin–!" Sumia stumbled forward, and I reacted without thinking, barely managing to catch her.

"You okay?" I said after she stood up on her own.

Sumia let out a loud sigh. "Yes... Sorry about that."

 _'She's awful on her own two feet, and yet lacks a pegasus, I can't help but wonder why – is she just a trainee?'_ I pushed the thought to the back of my mind as I glanced up ahead, Chrom was leading the way alongside Frederick.

During our small march, I recalled everyone that was joining us; which was apparently everyone except Ricken and Maribelle, the former I haven't met yet but they told me he was a young mage with great potential. Maribelle had errands to do, at Themis, which was a highly known dukedom in Ylisse.

"Risen!" Chrom's voice made everyone perk up and look up ahead.

Sure enough, a herd of Risens stood ahead of us – only trees to the left and right gave us some cover – we ran to the side and hid from view.

Chrom took a gander of the situation before stomping his foot in annoyance. "Blasted! The Risen have spread this far?"

 _'Risens? How did they know such a name...'_ I decided to ask Chrom.

"Oh, we needed a name for them, so the council gave them one." The prince explained lightly.

 _'But Lucina said they were called just that..! As far as I know, she isn't part of this council – how did she know their name, was it a coincidence?'_ Everyone around me was moving, but my thoughts kept me covered behind a tree.

"R-Robin now isn't the time to be distracted!" Sumia shook me.

After blinking a few times, I stood up. "Everyone! Listen closely, I want Sully and Stahl to stay together on the rears – pair up with someone who has fought these dastards before – Vaike come with me, your axe will help greatly." My eyes caught glimpses of Risens with lances, but what disturbed me was their Ylissian like armor.

"All right! Time to for Vaike to teach ya how it's done in the Shepherds!" The blonde pumped himself up while holding his hand high in the air. "... Wait, where did my axe go?"

Almost instantly everyone face palmed. "... Please tell me you're joking, Vaike." Chrom said in an almost desperate tone.

"I had it not too long ago! Where did it go!" Vaike was searching everywhere, all while the Risen neared us.

 _'Tsk' we're running out of time,'_ I glanced at Frederick – who caught my eye – and nodded.

The Great Knight seemed to understand what I was implying. "Everyone! Prepare for combat, and listen up, especially THOSE who have a weapon: stay close no matter what!"

This was enough to make the Shepherds spring into action, Frederick took the lead; followed by Chrom and me who went straight for an Axe wielder.

"Thunder!" This creature got stunned enough for Chrom to dash in and deliver the finishing blow.

"Nice job..!" The prince complimented me.

My eyes locked onto a single point. "Thunder!" I shot the spell past Chrom's head. "Behind you!"

Chrom shook off the surprised expression on his face and turned. "Haa!" He slammed the blade on the swordsmen skull.

"Milord!" Frederick's alarming shout gave us enough time to engage a lancer.

 _'There's a lot of them, and they're at full offense somehow–'_ Memories of Lucina telling me about a Risen leader, filled my head once more. "Chrom, make everyone retreat! They're trying to surround us!"

The Prince barked out my orders, and we ran towards a nearby hill covered in trees. "These things are tough!" Stahl breathes out in surprise.

Sully gave the man a punch in the shoulder. "Aw, ya such a damn crybaby."

Luckily, morale was still high, or so I noticed. "These things are commanded by a single entity, who should be at the backlines of all these Risens – it took Marth and I a great amount of effort to take them down."

"Marth? The hero king?" Stahl questioned, but Sully started explaining for me.

Frederick nodded. "So a leader is commanding these troops."

"Precisely, once we take the boss down, they will start falling out of position and will make it a lot easier for us to manage." Everyone listened to my words carefully, which saved us a lot of time. "Virion, I want you to stick-"

"I wondered what type of ignoramus would mislay their weapon. Now I know." A female mage with short red hair appeared from the bushes, she was holding an axe.

Vaike perked up at the sight. "Whoa, my axe!" He ran up and grabbed it from the newcomer, who was letting out a sigh of disappointment.

"Vaike, for the last time, you must keep an eye out for your possessions, especially your tool of combat."

Vaike nodded, but was looking at his weapon – clearly not listening to the mage – and seemed to be solely focused on it. "Yeah, thanks, Miriel."

 _'Ah, so that's our mage...'_ I walked up to her and raised a palm in greetings. "Miriel, glad you could join us."

She eyed me, from head to toe, before adjusting her glasses. "You must be our tactician, well met."

"Sorry to ask, but can you ride with Sully? It's necessary for our plan of action." The mage nodded without question. "Virion, go with Stahl – I'll go with Frederick."

Chrom walked up to me, a questioning look in his eye. "What about us?"

"March down the road together, we'll give you guys cover the entire time; make sure Lissa is at the center of everyone, ready to heal anyone in need of it," I explained while Frederick gave me a hand.

Stahl and Sully – along with their designated partners – rode up next to our shared steed. Frederick nodded and whipped his reins, we rode off to the distance.

"Sully, Stahl, circle the Shepherds counter-clockwise!" The Cavaliers nodded and did a u-turn. "We'll lure some of them, I have a feeling a large amount of the Risen lurk in those woods." I pointed at a few tree lines.

Once we went down the road – near to these trees – a dozen glowing eyes illuminated. "Robin," Frederick wanted orders.

"Retreat, we will circle the Shepherds clockwise, we're the first line of defense!" I held onto the Knight as he did a sharp u-turn – while we headed back I glanced behind us – a few Risens, around six of them, were following us.

Sure enough, Stahl and Sully kept circling the group – taking down any Risens who attempted to pass the death wheel – combined with Miriel and Virion's range, only one or two Risens managed to slip past their defense; Chrom and Vaike would instantly strike them down.

"Incoming!" Frederick shouted, alerting all the Shepherds of the incoming wave of Risens.

As we did a circle around the group, I started charging up a spell. _'I know I'm unlucky, but I need to hit this one time!'_ My eyes locked onto a sprinting lancer. "Thunder!"

The spell curved due to Frederick riding in a circle, but it managed to hit the foe's arm – making the damn thing stumble backward – an arrow flew and nailed it in the head.

"Ahah! Did you see that magnificent shot!" I heard Virion say with pride, as Stahl rode past us.

It honestly made me chuckle. "Hang on, Robin." Not a second after Frederick's warning, I felt our steed jump into the air.

My hands went for my blade. _'There!'_ I slashed a Risen's neck mid-jump. "Sully!"

The red-haired rider was close to running past us very soon, her eyes locked onto the injured target. "I got'em!"

 _'Good, they seem to be having trouble with this tactic,'_ My eyes scanned the field as we were behind the Shepherds. "Two more laps and we can stop!"

Chrom heard my orders and repeated them, allowing Stahl – who was on the opposite side of Frederick and me – to hear it.

Frederick readied his silver lance as an axe user crossed our path. "Your last breath approaches!" The knight decapitated the creature as we went by.

Another Risen ran straight at us. "Thunder!" I shot the spell, but it flew past my target. _'D-Damn it!'_

A ball of fire hit said target soon after. "You must add a simple equation to the trajectory of the spell, Robin," Miriel commented as we passed each other.

This made me duck my head into my coat. "It isn't my fault lightning magic has less accuracy..." I muttered under my breath.

"The field is clear, tactician," Frederick reported.

"Time to stop then, re-unit our squadron." We had made an amazing amount of progress and reached a bridge.

Chrom had his blade planted in the ground, leaning over the hilt. "There's a problem."

After I got off Frederick's horse, I went over to the Prince. "What's it?"

He pointed up ahead. "Over that bridge, there's two fortresses and even more tree lines; however, the road is very narrow."

This meant that our previous strategy wouldn't work. "I don't think our horses would handle another attack like that anyways."

Virion walked up to us. "How about we use the bridge as a defensive point."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same-" Something caught my attention. "There's a fortress over there, Virion can you get up to the highest point and give us some cover?"

"With pleasure, for my arrows never miss their mark! You can rely on the great Virion to rain down arrows from the heavens, like a god who is delivering–"

"Just go already!" I shouted out.

Virion simply flinched. "My word, no one lets me finish." The Archer muttered while heading over to his position.

"Vaike, go make sure a Risen doesn't cut him down." The blonde gave me a thumbs-up before running after the bluenette.

Frederick went over to us – off his mount – and held both hands behind their back as usual. "Enemies have been spotted across the bridge, they seem to be waiting for us." The Knight said clearly.

"Waiting?" I decided to walk up to the stone platform, and sure enough, two Risens stood on the other side. They didn't seem interested in attacking me, or at least, not yet. "They're trying to lure us in."

"What now, Robin?" Chrom asked while observing the field.

"They're out of my magic's range, it would be easy for them to dodge at this distance.., however," I looked at the nearby fortress, Virion was at one of its towers. "We have an Archer."

Virion waved at me, and I returned the gestured; followed by pointing at the Risen. Our Archer proceeded to take aim, once the man fired an arrow, I followed its trajectory. It managed to nail one of the Risen's head, the creature roared in anger and yanked it out of its skull.

"Hmm, it worked – alright, everyone rally up." All the Shepherd's capable of fighting formed a wall, with Frederick being the spearhead due to his large amount of defense capabilities.

Two Risens charged forward across the bridge, Frederick speared one, while the other one got shot down by magic.

"Advance!" I yelled as the cost was clear – we managed to reach the other end of the bridge – but had to stop once more upon being attacked by even more Risens.

Chrom shouted a war cry as he charged in, he cut through the Risen like paper with his blade. "Heh, they aren't so bad once you get used to them." The Prince boasted with a confident grin.

"What is that sword made of?" I asked Chrom while observing the fancy double edge sword.

"Falchion? Legend says it's from Naga, one of their fangs to be exact." Chrom held the blade at eye level, letting the sunlight make it shine in its own beauty.

The name Falchion made me remember many tales of its origin, including how only a specific bloodline can wield it. "It seems to have the power to slice through these Risens with ease," I glanced at the battlefield again, but the Shepherds seemed to have everything in control.

"I have noticed that as well, it surprised me at first but it lets me keep all my momentum and use less stamina."

A nod was the only answer I could give the man for now. _'Lucina was using this blade as well... And her fighting style was almost exactly the same.'_

"Robin!" Sumia dashed in front of me and blocked a sword with her lance.

I dashed in and impaled the undead with my bronze sword, Sumia switched places with me and landed a blow to its head; allowing me to switch weapons. "Thunder!" The Risen turned into the usual purple miasma.

"Thank you, Sumia..."

The pegasus knight gave me a cheerful smile. "Just pay attention next time!"

My face heated up in embarrassment. _'Yeah, I really need to start focusing on the battlefield,'_ Speaking of which, I quickly turned towards the heat of the battle.

Something caught my eye, and I knew exactly what it was. "Retreat! Get everyone back across the bridge, defend the fort Virion is at!" I shouted, just loud enough for Chrom to repeat my orders, eliminating any hesitation the Shepherds had with my plan.

As we ran back – I glanced behind us – a beast was running on all four, straight at us. The Risen leader had the same looks that the previous one did, same long dark hair, same disturbing face, even the weapon was an exact replica.

"What is that thing!?" Chrom shouted as we stood in front of the fort, alongside Frederick.

"Risen leader, kill him and we're done with this ordeal." Frederick glanced at me, asking for an explanation. "Fought one back at the forest, but it took everything in me to take it down."

As I finished that sentence, the large Risen let out a mighty roar as it stood at the bridge's entrance. "Prepare yourselves," Chrom advised as the creature charged forward.

It launched itself into the air, blocking the sun for a second before crashing down where we once stood.

"Thunder!" The spell crashed into its head – it ignored the damage – before it charged at me.

"Milord!" Frederick crashed into the beast with his shoulder, sending it flying a few feet away. "An opening!"

Chrom ran up to it, weaving under the beast's axe attacks flawlessly. "Ha!" The prince managed to hit it across the chest.

"Miriel, Virion!" I shouted with all my might as I conjured another spell.

A fireball and thunderbolt were summoned; they flew through the air, causing an explosive reaction due to the two spells colliding into one another on the Risen.  
The leader leaped out of the smokescreen, however, an arrow sunk itself on its forehead. _'Now my chance!'_ I ran towards the stumbling creature, it was weakened harshly. "Chrom!"

"Haaa!" Chrom shouted as he ran next to me, both of blades sliding on the ground next to each other, before landing a strong upper-slash, cutting both of the foes arms clean off.

The sound of a galloping horse made both the prince and I dodge to the side. "Farewell!" The Knight shouted as his spear finished off the creature.

I fist pump the air. "Alright!"

Chrom let out a sigh of relief before giving a smile of his own. "Nice job everyone!" The captain said while all the Shepherds who stood in the fortress left it.

Vaike gave me a one arm hug. "Nice going squirt!"

Everyone nodded at this. "It was nothing! R-Really, I was only doing the basics."

Sully scoffed at this. "Basics? You call those damn advanced movements, _basics_?! Chrom, where did ya find this smart dastard!"

Chrom simply chuckled. "We didn't, he found us. Robin helped us take care of some bandits back at Southtown."

There was no point in arguing or declining their praises, but I was a bit modest about it – for the victory wasn't just mine, it was everyone's trust and skill that brought us the victory.

"Milord, we should check the abandoned fortresses up ahead." Frederick reminded us.

"Aye, we will; you heard him, time to march." Everyone followed Chrom across the bridge.

"Oi," Sully rode next to me and caught my attention. "Who taught you how to fight like that."

"Fight? You mean my swordplay?"

The red-haired nodded. "It might have been for a second or so, but I saw how confident you were; stuff like that takes time and experience, and I mean, real combat experience."

 _'Real combat, yeah I noticed that as well – something tells me I'm a fighter through and through – but I lacked the memories.'_ My eyes wandered and saw Sully's ruby eyes, still expecting an answer. "I can't remember, the day before I met Chrom, I woke up in a field with a lack of memories."

The cavalier relaxed in her seat. "Yet your body moves with little flaws... Although, you seem to have some lack of stamina."

"Correct, maybe I turned into a total bookworm before I lost my memories." I joked lightly, which prompted the women to smile a bit.

"Ha! Don't worry, tactician; train with Frederick and me, and you'll be in shape in no time!" Before I could respond to that, Frederick called out to the women. "Speaking of the devil; seems like I got some scouting to do; talk to ya later, Robin."

While I watched Sully ride up ahead, I reflected in what she said. _'My body moves with little flaws, full of confidence, and is filled with battle experience... I know my memories are gone for now, but it's making me anxious, just who the hell am I!?'  
_

* * *

 **AN: Can't wait to write the next chapter, especially since it includes snow! Personally, I don't enjoy the cold but I do love how snow covers the land in its own beautiful way...  
Anyways, the chapters will start getting longer and longer as we head deeper into the story; reasons being that the game starts having more holes in-between each chapter. I'll be filling those plot holes and will be using them to add in the support conversations needed at the time!**

 **May we meet again, in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4: Entering The Warrior's Domain

**Disclaimer: In no way, do I own the Fire Emblem Series, this is merely a fan-made project.**

 **AN: Thank you once again, for the kind reviews and advice! It really helps me keep going, and improve.., however, due to trying to improve - the chapter got shorten a bit, I'll make up for it with the next chapter!**

 **Let's get on with the story, I hope everyone enjoys it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Entering the Warrior's Domain**

The Shepherds marched down the northern road at a faster pace, it was hours after their last encounter with the Risens. The scouts – Sully and Stahl – deemed that the path was safe for now, which further encouraged them to keep marching without worry.  
Even so, Chrom advised the Shepherds to take a break and scout the sides of said road they were currently taking, just in case a few rouge Risens lurked around the nearby woods.

This is the main reason as to why, Chrom, Lissa, and Robin; stumbled upon an abandoned Pegasus fully geared in Ylissean armor. "I believe it's hurt, let me take a look at it..." Chrom approached the horse with caution.

However, the Pegasus was very much still frighten and started struggling while holding its ground – kicking and tossing – while standing on its back legs in preparation to attack the approaching prince.

Chrom quickly took two steps back. "Whoa! Down, girl! Easy there!"

"Captain!" Robin turned to see Sumia running towards them. "One moment!"

Everyone at this point turned to face the pegasus knight in surprise. However, before Sumia could utter another word, she managed to trip and land face first on the ground with a cringe-worthy thud.

Robin was starting to feel really bad for the pegasus knight at this point, but he quietly watched Chrom approach the fallen maiden.

"Sumia! Are you alright?" Concern filled Chrom's voice as he watched Sumia get up with a rapidly heating up face. "... Those boots of yours again?"

Sumia dusted herself off before shaking her head. "No! I mean, yes! I mean..." She let out a sigh and gave up on the matter before getting up and steeling herself with a determined facial expression. "Let me handle this situation."

"Come no closer, this thing is crazed." Chrom quickly warned.

"It's okay, Captain, I can handle this." Robin and Chrom took a step back as the brunette approached the injured steed.

The tactician couldn't help but touch the cover of his tome that was safely stored in his left pocket. _'I'll prepare a spell, just in case things go sour.'_

The trio who found this pegasus watched as Sumia got closer to the animal. "Shh, I won't hurt you," She muttered softly as the pegasus snorted and pinned its ears. "Easy girl..." Sumia gave the animal some time to take in her presence, before taking another step – allowing her to hug its neck and stroke it softly. "Shhh, it's okay dear."

Robin stood there with a smile on his face. "Well, seems things are covered just fine with the help of Sumia."

Lissa giggled and nodded in agreement. "That's incredible Sumia, how did you manage to calm it so quickly!?"

"I've never seen anything like it," Even Chrom stood there in astonishment.

Sumia kept a gentle smile while calming the Pegasus. "Oh, it's nothing... I just have a way with animals, I guess."

"I should say so!" Chrom smiled as he took in the sight.

"You all go on ahead," Sumia let go of the Pegasus and investigated its wings. "I'll dress her wounds and catch up as soon as we're able."

"We can make time to wait for you." Chrom quickly offered.

Sumia shook her head. "Thank you, Captain – but I can manage, truly, it's fine. Every moment is precious when all of Ylisse is in danger."

This made the prince smile in admiration. "Very well, be safe, Sumia."

"As you command, sir."

Robin and Lissa stood there with blank expressions, but above all, they both thought the same thing. _'You have got to be kidding me.'_ They glanced at each other, mirroring each other's faces before bursting into laughter.

Chrom raised an eyebrow to this. "What's so funny?"

Robin managed to hold his laughter, but Lissa kept going – holding her sides. "Nothing, Chrom – I just told Lissa a joke."

"Oh, mind if I hear it?" The prince asked with an interested look on his face.

"Sure, once we get back on the road."

 _ **…**_

Around two or more hours went by, and the road was now completely covered in snow. "What a beautiful sight, too bad the temperature is so uncomfortable for me." Robin was holding himself tight, preventing the cold from slipping inside his coat, and destroying what little warmth he had left.

Lissa walked alongside the tactician, holding a scarf tightly around her neck. "Luckily I brought this with me, but it's still pretty cold."

Chrom was marching up ahead, but Robin noticed the man taking occasional glances behind them. "Your brother is waiting for Sumia, I assume,"

"Yeah, although he would do that to anyone honestly, Chrom worries about every single person in the Shepherds."

 _'Worry...'_ The word echoed in Robin's head for a bit, before shattering into different emotions that were impossible to pin down. "Worthy of being our leader, that's for sure."

"If only I was a bit like him..," Lissa muttered softly, her frosty breath visible to the naked eye.

"What do you mean?"

Lissa looked up at Robin and gave him a weak smile. "Oh, nothing – I was just talking to myself."

Normally, Robin would respect her wishes and stay quiet, but something was urging him to speak his mind. "Lissa, if you're worried about your older siblings outshining you, I advise stopping."

"... Huh?"

Robin looked at the princess with a gentle smile – barely noticeable – reassuring her. "When I first entered the Shepherds," The tactician looked up ahead and glanced at Chrom. "He might have welcomed me with open arms, but Chrom doesn't speak his mind too much... Sometimes he prefers to hold it in."

Little did Lissa know, Robin was remembering pieces of his previous friendship with the prince. "However, you on the other hand... Lissa, you greet people as if you knew them for a long time, and welcome them with an energetic encouraging smile – you made me feel right at home – so you should know that you've your own way of inspiring people and raising their morals." Robin glanced down at his feet, wondering why he was so bold with his words; as if it was a casual topic between the two.

 _'I'm aware that Lissa, Frederick, and Chrom; were close friends of mine, but I can't help but feel a bit out of place still.'_ The now wary tactician glanced at the princess, who hid half of her face underneath their white scarf.

"Robin," She suddenly spoke up, prompting Robin to give her his full attention. "Thank you, truly."

"Heh, if you ever doubt yourself again; speak with Chrom, I can tell how much he cares for you with a single glance."

A cold breeze made the duo shiver. "Gah! Is it me, or is it getting colder!" Lissa shouted in her usual energetic self.

"Y-Yeah," Robin glanced at the sky, the sun was already starting to descend. "And it's only going to get even colder from here on out."

"Ha! You two can't handle anything!" Vaike walked up to them, with his chest puff out in pride. "The cold has nothing on Vaike's burning heart!"

Miriel walked up to the man and threw a blanket over his head. "Vaike, no one has time to babysit you if you enter a hypothermic state."

Vaike looked at Miriel with a confused expression. "Hyper what now?"

Robin chuckled and decided to walk up ahead, catching up to Chrom. "Hey,"

"Oh, Robin, how are you holding up?" Chrom gave the tactician some space so they could walk alongside each other.

"Honestly, my legs are killing me; tell me your secret," Robin sighed briefly. "Your endurance leaves me in awe, Chrom."

The Prince chuckled. "You'll get used to it soon enough, especially if Frederick trains you,"

Said Great Knight – who wasn't far from the two – glanced down from his steed. "We shall start said training once time allows us."

"I recommend getting a lot of sleep, while also eating light during breakfast," Chrom warned with an all-knowing smirk.

Robin shook his head. "Somehow, I believe that will do little in aiding me."

* * *

The warmth of the sun had long disappeared behind the clouds, and the Shepherds trekked down a road covered in a slight blizzard. Robin had his hood up and held an even stronger grip on his coat than before.

The tactician was also helping Lissa walk through the ankle deep snow by lending his arm, but that didn't help the princess from avoiding the skin burning cold. "F-F-Frebberick! I'm f-f-freebing!" Lissa said with clattering teeth.

This made Frederick chuckle slightly – seemingly unaware of the cold – and gestured to the side of his horse with a hand. "Stand beside my horse, milady. She'll shelter you from the wind." Frederick's horse whinnied in agreement.

Before anyone could comment, a black fortress stood up ahead, and it was starting to show how truly massive it was the closer the Shepherds got. "I assume that's the fort?" Robin raised his voice above the rushing wind.

"Yes, the Longfort to be exact," Chrom answered. "It stretches along the border of Ylisse, Plegia, and Regna Ferox."

Robin observed the stone wall carefully. "It's well suited for combat, that's for sure. Are you sure they will let us pass?"

"The Khans that ruled Ferox have grown quite wary of foreigners," Frederick swiftly spoke out, all while positioning his steed next to the royals and Robin. "Still, don't mistake a lack of hospitality for open hostility. This simply calls for a bit of diplomacy."

Upon hearing the word _diplomacy_ , Chrom let out a tired sigh. "Negotiations are not my strong suit, but I'll do my best." The prince took a couple of steps forward, before turning back to face the Shepherds. "Remember, everyone: your actions here reflect back upon Ylisse."

The group followed Chrom, however, two of the members felt how tense the air was; one of them was Robin, and the other one being Frederick. Both Shepherds glanced at the fort's windows and defensive outposts – they could see some movement going about – while one had a bad case of deja vu, the other one knew from subtle details what was going on.

"Milord," The Knight finally called out. "Trouble in the wind, the Feroxi Guards are mobilizing."

Robin took a step forward. "Chrom, we should take a step back."

"What..?!" Before Chrom could retreat, someone shouted from above the fortress.

"I advise to not move a muscle!" A deep but feminine voice called out. "Call out why you're here!"

The prince of Ylisse stood tall before speaking. "In the name of house Ylisse, I seek an audience with the Khans!" Chrom attempted to move back, but the voice called out once more - this time, more serious.

"Not one step, my bold lad!" The voice called out with an angered tone. "I've Lancers at the ready!"

Even Frederick was starting to get anxious, so much so the knight had to speak. "Hold, milady! We're not your enemy! Exalt Emmeryn herself has sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest!"

"My only interest is keeping you out, brigand!"

Frederick bristled. "B-Brigand!? Now see here–"

"You think you're the first _Ylisseans_ to try and cross our border? I have the authority to strike down such imposters where they stand!"

"How dare you!?" Frederick finally lost his cool – face heating up in anger – which was something no one expected. "You're in the presence of Prince Chrom, the exalt's own blood!"

The captain who guarded the fort simply laughed. "Ha! Yes, indeed – and I am the queen of Valm!"

 _'Valm? Wait, does she mean the continent overseas–'_ The mere thought of water sicken Robin to the core, especially when putting the word Valm and sea together. Robin was having trouble breathing at this point, as he started hearing screaming and the smell of burning oil thicken.

Once more, the women spoke from the top floor of the fort. "You do realize impersonating royalty is a capital offense, yes?"

Chrom didn't back down from this. "This is a misunderstanding! Surely we can settle this somehow."

"Mmm," The general glanced back at her men, who were waiting for the signal to attack. "Perhaps we can settle this the Feroxi way.., you claim to be the prince of Ylisse? Then prove it on the battlefield!"

Before any warnings were given, the Feroxi commander gave orders to attack at once. "Urgh!" Chrom dodged a spear swiftly but lost his footing, more Lancers prepared to throw their weapons again.

"Chrom!" Robin snapped out of his painful trance and prepared to run after the endangered prince.

In a heartbeat, a white blur passed by and the prince was gone. "What!?" Robin looked around for their captain, only to hear the flapping of wings.

 ** _..._**

Up in the air, was a shocked Chrom and a serious Sumia, riding the back of a pegasus. "That was close," The pegasus knight muttered while making sure the distance between them and the archers wasn't fatal.

"Sumia?" Chrom asked with a shocked expression.

"Hang on tight captain!" The prince only nodded at this and pulled out Falchion, holding it high for the Shepherds to see, or rather, for Robin to see.

"Chrom has given us the command to attack!" The tactician announced. "I want Virion and Miriel to hang back and give us cover from those archers above! Stahl, Vaike, Sully, hang back and imprison any Feroxi fighters we spare!"

Everyone moved to their positions as Chrom and Sumia landed at the backlines. "Robin, what's the plan?" The prince asked after dismounting.

"Look there," Robin pointed at a group of Feroxi walking down a set of stairs. "One of them must have a key of some sorts, we take it and move up."

Frederick advanced and protected the infantry Shepherds from incoming enemies. "Milord, Robin advised to spare the Feroxi, should we?"

"Yes, don't take a single life, Regna Feroxi are our allies."

Robin spun and took a step back. "Thunder!" The electricity numbing his senses as he watched his target kneel down "Sumia, stay on the ground and near the wall – Archers lurk above!"

Sumia nodded and commanded her steed to gallop forward, allowing her to disarm a Swordsmen. "Captain!" Chrom quickly followed up on her attack and hit the man across the face with the flat of his blade, knocking the Feroxi out cold.

Meanwhile, Robin fought beside Frederick – both of them keeping Lissa safe – working together to take out an archer and spear user. The tactician rolled over his shoulder and avoided an arrow, he also grabbed snow along the way and threw it at the lancer's face. This allowed the Great Knight to close the distance between him and his blinded foe safely, smacking with the blunt end of his spear on the Feroxi's head, knocking them out in an instant.

"Lissa heal the Feroxi guards, and get Sully to help!" Robin ordered as he prepared his blade. "Frederick, go help Chrom and Sumia, last time I checked; a group of Feroxi warriors were coming from the east."

The Stalwart Knight didn't hesitate and left without another word. "Robin!" Lissa's cry allowed the tactician to redirect his focus on the fight, blocking a sword with his bronzed one.

His eyes scanned the field during the small deadlock, which quickly alerted Robin of the incoming danger of an archer. The tactician had no choice but to push the swordsmen back, and sweep their legs off the ground with a low kick, Robin then switched to his tome and prepared a spell, however, it was far too late.

The archer lets go of the string and the arrow flew through the air; Robin closed his eyes and blocked the trajectory with his tome. Suddenly, the sound of armor clanking was heard, along with the arrow falling onto the snow.

"No pain?" Robin muttered while opening his eyes, just in time to see the archer get hit across the face by an unseen force. "Am I... Am I seeing things?"

"Might want to be careful, sir robin." A mysterious voice spoke to the now scared tactician.

 _'Do we own a ghost or something!?'_ Robin's face was turning pale, as he watched another Feroxi get flung across the snow, which made the enemy side start freaking out as well.

Meanwhile, Chrom, Sumia, and Frederick; were swiftly taking down the east side of the Longfort, it wasn't long till they managed to find the key that would allow them to head up the stairs.

"Robin!" Chrom rushed over to the west, only to see that all the Feroxi warriors were on the ground unconscious. "Whoa, did you take them all out?"

"Um, no..?" Robin looked back at the prince with a very confused and scared expression. "Something just flung them all over the place like rag dolls."

This made the prince look around in concern, until something caught his eye, in fact, he was starting to hear someone call out to them. "Do you hear that Robin?"

"Hear what?" The tactician stood next to the bluenette with his weapon out, eyes shifting constantly.

A sudden realization washed over Chrom's face. "Wait, Robin! That's Kellam!" The prince pointed at a waving man, in orange plated armor, the same type that knights.

"Who?" Robin squinted his eyes and finally spotted a tall man – taller than anyone in the shepherds actually – with black messy short hair. "Kellam wasn't on the list, Chrom."

Kellam walked over to us and let out a depressed sigh. "Seriously? No one noticed me through the entire trip? I was even shouting and waving in front of everyone's faces!"

"Sorry Kellam, you're just... Easy to miss. Try to stay close, we'll need your protection for when we head up the stairs." After hearing Chrom's explanation, Kellam simply nodded with a depressing aura surrounding him.

The sound of horses galloping alerted them of Sumia and Frederick. "Milord, we're ready to advance."

"Captain!" Sumia tossed the key, which Chrom swiftly caught.

Lissa was done healing the injured Feroxi, who were held captive. "Alright, we should move on then. Kellam go ahead and lead the way." It was rather hard for Robin to see the knight for some odd reason, but upon squinting his eyes and looking sideways, he could see Kellam with ease, which made him even more confused as to how Kellam's ability worked.

Frederick got off his trusty steed, due to the staircase we had to take, Sumia flew into the air and waited for further orders.  
Once the Shepherds reached the top floor of the Longfort, they were quickly greeted by a dozen Feroxi soldiers, warriors that Kellam dispatched of whenever it came to a sword user, and Chrom took care of any axe wielding foes.

"Hammer incoming!" Sumia warned as she flew across the fort, Robin was giving the pegasus knight much-needed cover from any archer who dared target her.

"Chrom, cover Frederick and Kellam! Lissa, heal anyone who gets hurt!" Robin shouted while switching weapons, charging forward to greet an archer with his blade.

A swordsman appeared from a set of stairs, five steps away from Robin; who just took down an archer. "Coming through!" Sumia landed next to the tactician and blocked the incoming foe.

Robin skipped to the side and shot a spell, nailing his mark straight on the chest. "Someone, finish him off!"

Chrom charged with a war cry, just as the Feroxi kneel down in pain. "Say goodnight!" A smack with the flat of Falchion was enough to send the warrior into the realm of dreams.

Every Shepherd glanced at the last Feroxi standing, the general who started all of this conflict in the first place.

Chrom walked forward and greeted the armored lady. "I am Chrom, prince of Ylisse. If you do not believe me, look at my brand."

"Ha," The general had a light smirk on their face. "Truly impressive, for an impostor. Very well, my name is Raimi, and it is the last you'll hear before I send you to the grave."

Raimi stood stall, with an iron lance – the wind swayed her blonde hair – taunting Chrom to fight her in a one versus one dual. "I accept your challenge." The prince said, despite Robin's advice of rejecting.

"Chrom, Raimi has a large advantage over you – please, reconsider." Robin attempted to stop the bluenette once more.

"Peace, Robin... What type of leader would I be if I couldn't prove my worth to others?"

Upon seeing Chrom's reassuring smile, Robin couldn't help but sigh and take a step back. "Your mind is set, it's no use trying to cloud it with negative outcomes... Do your best, Chrom."

The blizzard was starting to get stronger, but it failed to disrupt the intense concentration both fighters were undergoing as they took their positions across from each other.

Chrom spun his blade and impaled it in the ground, letting his white cape blow alongside the racing snow. "Surely you have noticed, but we have spared every man you have in this fort."

Raimi nodded with a solemn face. "Don't expect the same from me," She readied her shield and spear. "You win, or you die."

"It seems you leave me no choice then," Chrom pulled out Falchion from the ground and prepared to dash forward.

Raimi held up their shield in preparation. "Let our battle sound out the truth of your words!"

"I will not fall!" Chrom shouted with a war cry, running across the snow-covered stone floor with impressive speed.

Before Raimi could impale the Prince with her lance, Chrom jumped into the air with all his might; spinning with a deadly force on the way down and slamming Falchion against the general's shield.  
Raimi pushed the prince aside and hunkered down behind her kite shield before thrusting their spear, but Chrom was quick to slide across the floor from the momentum, allowing him to charge in once more and get underneath Raimi's striking arm.

"Seems like I didn't give Chrom enough credit," Robin muttered as he watched their captain land a clean blow on Raimi's side, barely scratching her armor.

Frederick chuckle; as if this was completely normal. "Milord tends to get hotheaded easily, but is a fine fighter when everything is on the line."

Everyone's eyes were glued on the battle, watching both fighters parry each other's attacks and how Chrom would slip through Raimi's attacks swiftly. The way Chrom fought was a striking resemblance to how Lucina would fight the Risens. Always using Falchion's divine power to its full advantage, and incorporating its power of not dulling or breaking into their fighting style.

 _'Wait, Falchion!? That's right, she was using Falchion!'_ Robin reflected back in what little memories he had, and in that moment, he remembered one small important detail the blade was highly known for. _'There is only one Falchion in the entire world.'_

The sound of steel colliding alerted the tactician of the still on-going battle, Chrom was in a deadlock with the steeled grip of the spear. Falchion allowed their user to go all out in battle, the blade itself would handle any type of impact with ease, so a long dragged out deadlock wouldn't be able to give Chrom a penalty of any kind; except for his stamina.

Raimi pushed the prince back, but the same thing followed suit, Chrom would slide away safely and duck under the spear – landing another blow – this kept repeating until both fighters gasped for air at a fair amount of distance from each other.

"So you really are the prince..," Raimi gasped out with an entertained smile. "Tell me, how are you so adept at dodging my attacks?"

"Ylisse has many armored knights, this is nothing!" Chrom returned the gestured with a smile of his own, filled with confidence.

Raimi suddenly dropped their weapon. "I give in, Prince of Ylisse – the amount of leadership you showed, it was enough to prove your words; of course, I expect a rematch in the future!" She laughed the latter while puffing out their chest.

All the Shepherds relaxed on the spot, sighing with relief that the battle was won and over.

"Big brother!" Lissa rushed over to Chrom, with staff in hand.

"I'm okay, Lissa."

Raimi's armor clanked as she approached us with hands held behind their back. "A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom. I truly mistook you as brigands impostors at first – but kept the battle going after it was obvious we were fighting with a military force, for training reasons.., and some pride."

"Surely that means you've encountered these impostors often," Chrom responded with a grim expression, fully aware of Plegia going to extreme lengths in order to start the war.

"Indeed, the impostors had a plegian accent," Chrom visibly tensed up at the mention of Plegia. "But let us put this conflict behind us and head over to the capital, I shall escort you there personally."

"That would be most appreciated, thank you." The prince relaxed a bit, responding with a tired smile.

Raimi turned and walked down a set of stairs. "Go to the front of the gate, it'll be opened up shortly." The Feroxi captain said before disappearing.

"You heard her, let's move," Chrom ordered and led the way.

Robin chuckled. "Amazing, her whole demeanor changed."

"In Feroxi, strength speaks louder than words," Frederick said while walking alongside the tactician. "I should have known better than to overestimate the value of diplomacy here..."

Robin felt bad for the knight, who constantly sold themselves short whenever failure was present. "Frederick, it isn't your fault – in fact, what you did was honorable and respectable in every way.., Emmeryn would be proud in your attempt of settling things in a peaceful matter."

This caught the Knight off guard, but he quickly turned away and nodded. "... Thank you, for the encouraging words, tactician."

"And stop calling me that, Robin is fine! We're friends, aren't we?" A smile appeared on Robin's face as he saw Frederick stumbling to find his words, it was amusing to see how modest Frederick was.

"I'll keep that in mind." Frederick finally said as the Shepherd's reached the stairs, that would lead them to the gate.

And thus, it wasn't long till the small group of Ylissean fighters reunited with those who didn't get a chance to participate that much in the battle.

"Ah! So the great warriors have finally returned to the amazing Virion!" The dramatic Archer posed.

Sully let out a sigh. "Finally, we can move – I was getting tired of Ruffles constant talking.., and I thought Vaike was bad enough." The cavalier muttered the latter while pointing at the Axe wielder, who was boasting at Chrom, saying that the fight would have been much easier to handle with _Teach's_ help.

"Looks like nothing changed," Robin remarked with a nostalgic smile.

Lissa giggled upon hearing the tactician's comment. "You know, I always liked seeing the Shepherd's as one happy family."

The word family resonated greatly in Robin's heart, he saw many faces flash before his eyes. "I'll do my best to protect this family.., you have my word, Lissa."

"Hmm?" Lissa barely heard her name, for what Robin said was barely audible.

"Nothing; was just talking to myself." Robin gave the princess a warm smile, but Lissa noticed how sad his eyes looked; as if the man has lost many things... It was the same eyes that her father had, the same regretful eyes she bitterly remembered somehow.

"Lissa! Robin!" Chrom's voice made both of them flinch. "Hurry up or we're leaving both of you behind!"

"Right!" They said in unison before speed walking over to the – now opened – large metal gate.

* * *

 **AN: I always had a soft spot for Lissa, the game never really points it out too much, but I respect how brave she can be and how much she wants to improve. Anyways, the next chapter should be longer - especially since it has a large amount of content in-game wise - and hopefully, has a better writing structure since I'm changing things up a bit in order to improve.**

 **That's it for now! (I feel like I'm forgetting to mention someone, hmm).**


	5. Chapter 5: Two Divine Dragons

**Disclaimer: In no way do I own the Fire Emblem Series or claim it as my own, this is merely a fan-made project, all content goes to their rightful owners.**

 **AN: Sorry it took so long, I just didn't feel like posting a day after Monday and decided to give myself a small break due to being busy said week - I'll explain down below why I missed posting this Monday, for now, Let us just get straight to the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Two Divine Dragons.**

It was now the middle of the night, a day before the Shepherds would arrive at the Longfort. Only the sound of a fire crackling could be heard in the cold forest, a fire that kept a young lady safe from the crippling cold that Regna Ferox was famous for. **  
**

She twirls her blue locks with a finger, eyes glued to the dancing flames in front of her. "It'll be best to move out in the morning, becoming Basilio's champion is my top priority for now," Lucina muttered softly to herself.

Memories danced inside her mind, Lucina lost herself in thoughts, remembering many faces and moments that the women had learned to cherish. "Then there is him..." White hair, amber eyes, and a carefree smile; Robin was the only person she knew little of, yet he knew more then Lucina was comfortable with.

The man had claimed to know her name, but not her purpose or role. What also set off alarms was how he said to have memories of a previous life, a life where Robin knew her, but they have yet to fully come back to him. "The Shepherd's Tactician.., he died alongside many of them during their last official mission together... However, they always told me great tales about Robin, how he achieved the impossible countless times – how it seemed like he knew events and outcomes before it happened."

Once more, the words that left his mouth that faithful night, struck Lucina's mind. Memories, that was the key word that Robin had told her, the tactician knew her and remembered her name – it wasn't the first time Robin met her.

"No, this is... impossible? Robin can't be from the future. Tsk' but what rights do I have in that matter, if I'm living proof of it being possible!" Lucina clutched her head in anguish, doing her best to grasp what was going on. "Yet.., everything fits so perfectly – how he achieved everything – it would explain his ability to foretell events."

The bluenette eyed the nearby pouch, it held a couple of gold coins still. Robin had gifted Lucina enough money for cheap winter clothing and more than enough food, allowing the traveler to regain some weight and overall health.  
One thing that the tactician was also known for, was how kind the man was; sadly, Lucina never got to know him at a reasonable age... Robin was always busy and never around the royal family when things started to turn for the worse.

"There's no use in clouding my mind, I must get some rest and seek Khan Basilio tomorrow..." Lucina reached for a small bag that previously contained bread, and pulled out a blanket in order to avoid laying down on the frozen ground.

As Lucina got ready to fall asleep, she made a mental promise to avoid the tactician as much as possible – a yawn escaped her lips – and it wasn't long after doing so, that she fell asleep.

* * *

"Robin!" I heard someone shout my name as I browsed through winter wear.

"One second, Chrom!" We were currently in a small town that resided near the capital, and I have made the wise decision of buying gloves before it was too late. "I'll like to buy those, please."

The old lady nodded and handed me a pair of fingerless leather gloves, suited mostly for combat instead of keeping my hands warm. "Thank you, for your purchase."

With that, I turned and walked towards the now advancing group while putting on my newly obtained hand wear.

"Found what you needed?" The prince asked as I approached the front of said group.

A nod and raising my hands was enough to answer his question. "These things should help me have a better grip, especially since I'm constantly switching weapons."

Chrom smiled lightly. "Good," The bluenette turned and faced Raimi who was waiting patiently at a cross road section of the small plaza we stood at. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Worry not, milord," Raimi reassured with a smile of her own before turning and walking ahead. "We aren't too far away from our destination."

"Thank the gods," I muttered while wrapping myself in my coat tightly, the blizzard had disappeared long ago, but now the sun was also gone and only the cold frigid night remained. "It'll be nice to enter a warm and cozy building by now."

As if to further prove my point, a bone-chilling breeze went by, causing me to shiver on the spot. "Ha! You'll get used to it, tactician!" Raimi responded with an amused chuckle.

"I highly doubt that considering where I was born..," What I said was barely audible, especially since Chrom was next to me – it was obvious how much the prince hated Plegians – the last thing I needed was Frederick or Chrom killing me on the spot.

"Didn't you say you lived in the north?" The Prince randomly brought up again, which almost made me choke on my own saliva.

Luckily for me, I managed to keep myself from expressing any type of overreaction. "No, I said I _might_ be from the north considering how my coat works – however it seems like I was completely wrong."

Before Chrom could question me any further, a large building in front of us caught our attention. Raimi kept walking towards it, making way to the front gate. "This here is the place." The Feroxi captain finally announced as the gate swung open with a small push.

After observing the area, I redirected my gaze to the Feroxi. "The east Khan lives here, right?" The building was pretty much the same height of the Longfort and had a small courtyard surrounding it.

Raimi nodded in response to my small question while we walked past the yard. "We'll just head up to the throne room, and I'll fetch the Khan." The Feroxi captain uttered after opening a large wooden door, allowing us entry.

Almost in an instant, I let out a long relaxed sigh due to the warmth of the building and the torches hanging on the wall. "Finally!" I stretched out and gladly said goodbye to the cold for now.

"Yeah, glad the temperature in here is comfortable." Lissa joined in on my little parade of being grateful.

Chrom chuckled but gestured to keep moving. "Best to not keep our host waiting,"

Vaike ran up ahead upon hearing this. "Race ya, Chrom–!?" Before the man could dash ahead, Frederick yanked the man back.

"I'm well aware of your lack of manners, Vaike. However, you must behave in this situation." The Knight explained as we kept walking.

"Pfft, whatever." Vaike pouted and crossed his arms, but settled down regardless.

It wasn't long till we entered a large room, and it was clearly the main lobby of this whole place. "Huh, what now?" I muttered to myself.

Raimi must have overheard; for she quickly answered. "Wait here, I'll fetch the Khan." The captain walked away, disappearing behind another distant door.

"So.., the Khan is asleep or something?" I asked while taking a gander of the room.

"Out training, I'd wager," Chrom responded in kind, taking note where he was standing on – a bear turned into a carpet to be precise. "The Khans of Ferox prefer battle over politics. Err, or rather, battle IS their politics."

This made me smile. "Maybe you should be a Khan, Chrom."

Everyone – except Chrom – started laughing to a certain degree. "E-Excuse me?" The bluenette said with a heated face.

"Ha, I was just poking fun at how you have an obvious distaste for politics."

Chrom smiled after hearing that. "That I do, the nobles in our councils are rather... Tedious." Just hearing that made it easy to tell that the prince was holding back his hatred for them.

My eyes caught glimpse of a few armor statues with different weapons decorating the walls. "So, a warrior ruler eh? I can picture him now; a bulky and giant man with his broad chest covered in hair." A chuckle escaped my lips after saying that.

"Am I now?" A feminine voice responded to my little joke, which made me turn around. "... Go on now, please tell me more!"

From what my quick thinking told me, this was the Khan – a woman with blonde hair tied in a ponytail and tan skin – which surprised me. "Y-You're the Khan, aren't you..." My face went pale as the armored Hero nodded while holding a large claymore over their shoulder.

"One of them, yes, the East-Khan to be exact, the name is Flavia," The Khan glanced at Chrom and bowed their head lightly. "I apologize for the trouble at the borders, Prince Chrom. You're always welcome in Ferox."

Chrom – who gave me a pat on the shoulder – took a step forward and covered for me. "Thank you, but I'm confident we can put that misunderstanding behind us. Although, is it true that bandits posing as Ylisseans have been ransacking said borders of yours?"

Flavia let out a sigh with furrowed eyebrows. "Yes! Those Plegian dogs!" The East-Khan looked ready to swing her blade at any moment if she saw a Plegian, which made me a bit nervous. "We found many documents proving as much every time we found the corpse of their captains. Thus, Plegia must see a great benefit in raising tensions between your kingdom and ours."

Chrom at this point stomped the ground with his right foot, armor clanking due to this. "Damn them all!" Realizing what he just did, Chrom froze on the spot for a second. "... F-Forgive me, Your Grace. That was.., indelicately put."

Flavia simply laughed loudly and gave us a huge smile. "Ha! Damn them and damn delicacy! Here in Ferox, we appreciate plain speech.

 _'Oh boy, you shouldn't let Chrom have such an ability – the man has been ready to burst for quite some time now!'_ I looked back at the Prince, who clenched their fist.

"If that is the case.., you should have a word with your damn border guards!" Everyone froze and looked at Flavia once Chrom finished his sentence.

"... Ha ha! Now that's Feroxi diplomacy!" The Khan shouted in glee. "Yes, I like you already!"

Our captain chuckled. "Anyways, do you know why we're here?"

"Indeed, but regrettably, I cannot provide any Feroxi troops for Ylisse."

"What?!" Lissa said in surprise, basically saying what everyone was thinking at that moment. "Why not?!"

Flavia shook her head with a sigh. "I lack the authority."

"Lack the authority?" Frederick spoke up after hearing this. "Isn't the Khan responsible for such matters such as these?"

"Yes, but there's two of us – or did you already forget that? The West-Khan has the throne, and thus, has the final word over our army and any type of _politics_ or negotiations with other kingdoms," The East-Khan explained swiftly, but soon had a grin on their face. "However, there's one thing you could do..."

"Anything!" Chrom jumped upon hearing that, not wanting to return home empty handed.

"There's a tournament – we Khans usually host it – and the victor acquires total sovereignty over both kingdoms."

Chrom raised an eyebrow and crossed their arms. "And your point is?"

"Win me the tournament, and I shall aid Ylisse; simple as that," Flavia responded casually. "I still need a good champion to represent the East, surely you have someone in your arsenal – for example, that Tactician."

Everyone in the Shepherds turned to face me. "Um?" My eyes wandered as I looked around in confusion.

Flavia laughed once more. "Raimi told me how you bested the Longfort with such ease, which at first didn't surprise me, I would expect that from tacticians. What interested me was that you were on the battlefield."

"Is it really that special..?" I said softly, still unsure as to why I'm the interesting one.

"See here, either a man specializes in the arts of strategy, or turns into a warrior – and if what Raimi says is true – and well, let us just say I want to see you in the tournament as my champion."

This time, the entire room was waiting for my response – it was nerve wracking – only after taking a deep breath was I able to respond. "I'll do it if the Shepherds join, this includes making Chrom your champion instead."

Flavia looked at me with a shocked expression. "Are you crazy? You know what would happen if a prince dies out there?"

"Sorry, but I only fight for Chrom – and so do the Shepherds – he is our leader, and the reason we move as a single unit." What I said was completely true, Chrom would always bark out my orders and would eliminate any hesitation in our ranks, without him, the Shepherds will fall out of place.

The East-Khan stared me down until she let out a sigh. "You know.., us Khans look for outsiders when it comes to selecting champions – if us Khans fought, there would be a ton of dead ones and plenty of blood feuds – but never in my experience have we had a foreign royal... Are you sure about this?" Flavia said the latter while looking at Chrom.

"There is no choice, East-Khan. My people are desperate." Chrom responded with zero hesitation, his eyes were sharp and determined to seek help, no matter the cost. "We face not only Plegia's constant attacks but now the added threat of Risen. If fighting for you is the quickest way to an alliance, then we will take up our steel."

"Ha! Well said! Very well, just because I like you! Make sure to not die out there, Prince Chrom." Flavia walked up to the prince and held out a hand, which he shook. "It's best for all of you to rest in our quarters, I shall show you the arena tomorrow morning."

Chrom took a step back and nodded. "Thank you so much, Flavia."

"Don't thank me just yet! You still need to win." The East-Khan laughed brightly and turned, walking towards a nearby door. "Follow me, the rooms are over here."

* * *

The next day was a clear open sky, letting the Shepherds bask in the morning sunlight as they arrived at a large town with an arena at its center. Flavia had told them that the tournament would be held here, that both the East and West met each other and settled things in said Coliseum.

When it came to the streets, it was filled with people and different shops – it was crowded and loud – it wasn't until the Shepherds finally entered the stadium itself when they got some peace and quiet.

"Over here will be the balcony that is reserved for the East's champions." Flavia led them to said room, which gave the Shepherds full view of the arena down below.

Robin quickly took notice of its shape, and how it didn't offer any advantages to either party. "A battle of pure strength and skills..." He muttered out, taking in the field that was illuminated by the sun due to the open roof.

Already, a couple of fighters were on the field, sparring with each other – however, there was one particular person that caught Robin's attention. "Chrom isn't that..?"

The prince followed his gaze and nodded. "Marth... What is he doing there?"

Flavia went up and stood next to them. "Do you know this person?" The East-Khan said with squinted eyes, observing Marth's movements and how they practiced their striking arm.

"Only by appearance, they helped us during a Risen attack but left soon after without another word," Chrom explained, which Flavia took in and nodded in response.

Robin was already trying to figure out why Lucina was there, even with his lack of memories, it didn't feel right. "Those fighters on the field. They're representing the West-Khan, correct?"

"Yes, they're preparing for the tournament, which can happen at any minute now – especially since I found my champions," Flavia responded with a small grin. "Speaking of which, I'll head off and find the West-Khan, and let him know we can start it later today. Go ahead and use the arena for some training or warm-ups, also, each team will have five fighters."

The Shepherds watched as the Khan left, it was after a few seconds of silence when Robin decided to speak up. "Five fighters... May I pick the members, Chrom?"

"Sure, go ahead – just make sure to include me," Chrom said the latter with a confident grin on his face.

"Ha, no need to worry! I'm thinking about Sumia, Frederick, Kellam, you, and myself to represent the East-Khan." Said people who were mentioned by Robin, perked up, especially Sumia.

"W-Wait! Me!?" The pegasus rider asked in confusion.

"Of course. Sumia, I've noticed that you're very serious and reliable during battle." Robin explained casually as if it wasn't anything new to him.

Even Chrom nodded in agreement. "Robin isn't exaggerating, you did a wonderful job back at the Longfort."

"... W-Well, if you say so..." Sumia looked down at her feet, blushing due to the compliments – mostly Chrom's – that she was receiving.

Robin turned and looked out the balcony once more. "Still, I have no idea why Marth is on the other team, I thought sh – he would help us." The tactician let out an inward sigh, due to almost revealing Lucina's gender by accident.

Chrom nodded silently, observing the masked swordsmen carefully. "Wait..," The prince's eyes squinted, but suddenly widen in disbelief as he leaned over the rails for a better view. "That blade!"

"Indeed, it seems to be an exact replica of Falchion," Robin quickly added, trying his best to throw off Chrom's rapidly increasing suspicion.

"... Yeah, I guess it would be a replica; Falchion is one of a kind, only one was ever created by Naga," In the end, Chrom calmed down and didn't think much about it soon after. "We should head down and do some training ourselves."

Everyone that was called out by Robin would follow Chrom down the stairs, meanwhile, everyone else stayed at the balcony – eager to cheer their teammates on – while waiting for the show to start.

As the group that would represent the East-Khan went down a lonely hallway, Frederick started stating out the rules. "Killing is allowed if the other side doesn't yield, flying with a pegasus is not permitted, getting knocked out of the arena will disqualify you; same goes with being knocked out cold."

Robin registered the rules in his head before speaking in a monotone voice. "Brutal, yet efficient when determining who's stronger... Hopefully, this won't be too hard to deal with, the last thing I want to do is kill someone."

"S-Same here," Sumia muttered, clutching her spear close to their chest. "I don't think I'm ready for such a thing."

What the pegasus knight just said struck the tactician, because killing someone wasn't the hard part for Robin, but rather, it was annoying to take someone's life on the battlefield. Out of all the feelings that Robin knew existed, annoyance was the only one that came to mind when thinking of murder – not remorse or guilt – as if it was something so normal and casual to him.

"Robin," Chrom called out to the daydreaming tactician. "Head high, we're about to enter the arena."

"Right," The corridor ended soon after Robin left his trance, revealing the wide open arena where they would fight till the end. "It looks much bigger down here, maybe we can take advantage of that."

"Enlighten me," Chrom said with an interested smile, fully aware of how effective Robin's strategies were by now.

"We can bait out their front lines with our cavalier, which would give us an advantage throughout the entire battle – it will require a ton of movement though – this is honestly the only thing we can do in order to avoid any major risk."

Robin's words were mostly aimed at Sumia and Frederick, both of them were essential for certain victory. Something that the shy brunette wasn't looking forward to, causing her to clutch their spear even harder as they wandered deeper onto the field, and got even closer to the enemy team.

The East-Khan team was quickly glared down by the West's representatives. Robin quickly locked eyes with a specific swordsman that had messy brown hair and was equipped with a weapon that was famously known for its killing potential.

"A Killing-Edge..?" Robin narrowed his eyes, and the man returned the gestured.

"Pardon?" Chrom voiced out, noticing the glares that both men were sharing. "Something wrong, Robin?"

"No.., just leave that man to me. Something tells me I made a rival already." The tactician said in a serious tone, not breaking eye contact with the Feroxi.

Marth was also there – but maintained their distance away from the swordsman that was glaring Robin down – however, they found no interest in making eye contact with the Shepherds.

"Alright, let's do some warm ups!" Chrom announced.

Only when the Prince shouted Robin's name did the tactician finally drop his stare _'I know that man.., and something tells me that Chrom will instantly lose if they fight – yes the outcome is clear – whatever happens, I need to fight that man and take him down myself.'_ Robin prepared himself mentally for the upcoming battle, for it wasn't going to be an easy one.

 ** _…_**

Countless cheers and shouts could be heard as the stadium slowly filled itself up with countless spectators. Both sides stood on opposite ends of each other; only two people stood in between both parties, the East and West Khans.

The West-Khan stood proudly, only wearing armor around their neck, arms, and legs – exposing their chest just like Vaike. "Welcome everyone! To yet another tournament that shall decide the next reigning Khan!" The tall tan man who wore an eye-patch on their left side; shouted towards the audience, who roared in response.

"To be honest, I'm pretty sure I'll be the winner again!" The West-Khan howled in a prideful laugh.

Flavia didn't agree with his statement at all. "Oh shut up oaf, we'll see who has the better champions. So how about we start the show already!?" The crowd once again cheered, eager for the fight to start. "Very well, give our fighters one last warm welcomed!"

The Khans made their exit as one last round of applause was given while the Shepherds took a couple of steps forward, the West-Khan's team followed suit. A variety of different emotions could be seen on each face of every fighter that was inside the massive arena, ranging from being nervous, confident, serious, and excited.

Robin took notice of the enemy team which consisted of; two sword users, an armored knight, and two mages. "Sumia," Robin pointed at one of the spellcaster. "Try running him down, Frederick will also help take out the other one whenever possible."

"Roger!" Sumia nodded on her armored steed. The creature was forced to wear extra weights, preventing the pegasus from flying due to the rules.

Kellam – who was only noticed due to the clanking of armor – approached the tactician. "What about me?"

"Fight the other Knight, we'll need your cover while Chrom and I finally engage the sword wielders. Just wait till Sumia lures one of mages out of position."

Everyone went into position, except for one. "Robin, does that mean I'll be fighting Marth?" Chrom asked while glancing across the field, observing the masked swordsmen.

"Correct... I don't know what it is, but I can _see_ things on the battlefield. Possibilities, enemy traits, disadvantages and advantages alike, it's something that I haven't been able to explain sadly." Robin looked down at his right hand, even if he wore his glove, he could sense the strange symbol that tainted his skin; never failing to disturb him greatly with a single glance.

The prince didn't respond immediately, for it was something he wasn't expecting to hear. "Maybe you're just that talented," Chrom rested a hand on the tactician's shoulder, giving Robin a reassuring smile.

"Right; make sure to fight Marth, you have the best chances of winning when it comes to confronting him." Chrom decided not to question Robin's logic or orders, everyone's faith was being put on the tactician's shoulders.

Suddenly, the sound of a horn was heard – the entire stadium cheered – followed by the voice of the West-Khan. "Let the battle commence!"

Robin observed the battlefield once more, the enemy team was already moving into position – staying near the walls at different angles – trapping the Shepherds where they stood.

"Sumia; follow the plan!" Robin dashed forward and gave the pegasus Knight some cover from the enemy mages, who in fact, were summoning spells already. "Thunder!"

Robin's spell collided with an Elfire, causing a smokescreen to appear; Sumia quickly ran through the cloud of smoke, lance ready to pierce anyone on the other end.

The tactician's eyes wandered and scanned the field, his eyes locking onto a charging Knight. "Kellam!"

In a heartbeat, the enemy was intercepted by the Ylissean Knight; both fighters hunkered down their shields and started striking with their lances. "F-Frederick!" Kellam shouted for assistance.

"Power through Kellam!" The Stalwart Knight shouted as he made his steed do a U-turn, going the opposite way from the fight.

Robin watched as Kellam tackled the enemy knight – sending them off balance – right when Frederick did a sharp turn and used the newly obtained distance as a highway for a charge attack.

"Amazing, did Frederick teach these tactics?" Robin admired from a distance, Frederick had successfully taken down the enemy Knight.

Chrom responded with a short chuckle. "Basic movement from the Ylissean military– Look out!" Both Chrom and Robin dodged to the side, avoiding an Elwind at the very last second.

"Frederick, Sumia!" Robin shouted while conjuring a new spell and throwing it at the enemy mage.

However, only Frederick charged towards the new menace – two spells collided – who disappeared behind a smokescreen.

While this was going on, Robin looked for Sumia. "N-No! Chrom, go and help Sumia!" The pegasus knight was dealing with both a mage and Marth, Sumia was barely keeping her distance and avoiding the barrage of spells.

A blue blur ran past the tactician, Chrom had dashed off without hesitation. "Alright, time to aid them–!?" Alarms were set off in Robin's head, causing him to swiftly backflip out of the way and dodge a blade.

Robin was finally able to take in his attacker after gaining some distance, the same Swordsman that glared him down before the fight stood before him. "I've heard many things about you. You're my target."

Robin unsheathed his bronze sword and took a traditional position, one that almost every sword master used, but held the blade with just his right hand. "Funny, I haven't heard anything about you – so it seems that I'm at a disadvantage here."

"Lon'qu, that's all you need to know from me." A straightforward guy; was really the only thing Robin could describe at a simple glance.

"Very well, Lon'qu. My name is Robin, but I'm sure you already knew that." Both men were in defensive positions that would allow them to shift into a variety of moves, it would be a battle of wits and skills.

* * *

"Chrom, go and help Sumia!" As soon as Robin said my name, I was already running towards the fray.

Sumia was having trouble keeping both foes at bay, using the length of her lance to keep Marth away, all while her steed moved around and dodged spells left and right.

"Sumia get the mage!" I shouted in anger, distracting Marth long enough for me to engage him.

They quickly tumbled away swiftly, taking a specific stance that caught my eye. Even their blade, an exact replica of Falchion, was starting to distract me from the actual fight. Luckily Robin's logical thinking kept me from being overwhelmed by my own speculations, allowing me to charge forward and try to throw Marth off guard.

With a single leap, I was able to achieve great heights and start a mid-air spin with my blade in hand, falling back down with great force – only to meet a deadlock. This angered me, causing me to grit my teeth and power through the lock, pushing Marth away and almost throwing him off balance.

"There's no way you knew how to counter such an attack, if anything, most people would dodge out of the way," I spoke out with a bit of frustration, narrowing my eyes and observing the masked swordsman closely.

"I've seen it before, nothing new." They simply said before taking - yet again - a similar stance that I normally use.

My only answer was raising an eyebrow, but quickly charged forward – Marth did the same – we engaged in a fury of attacks, sparks flying every time our blades barely connected and slid off each other; another deadlock was created.

"Tell me!" After pushing him away, we mirrored each other's attacks once more. "Who taught you how to fight!?"

One thing I was learning throughout the fight, was that Marth didn't have that much upper-strength, it was easy for me to parry any attacks or even guard them, however, what he lacked in strength; was quickly covered by speed and wits.

We slid apart from each other, and my stamina was starting to plummet. _'Must be the altitude.., my heart is already racing again, just like at the Longfort.'_

Marth didn't let up, dashing in at full force; our moves mirrored each other almost perfectly, it was both impressive and annoying to me. "You never answered my question!" I barked between strikes.

Both of us took a step back and lunged past each other, blades screeching along the way – I turned back and didn't see my opponent – a war cry made me glance up just in time to avoid an attack I knew all too well.

My opponent had just copied my initial aerial attack perfectly, in fact, they barely missed my head. "My father!" Marth shouted as they dashed in once more, not letting me have any time to breath or process what they said.

* * *

The arena cheered in glee, as they watched two magnificent fights happening all at once. Flavia – who stood next to the West-Khan – watched from the Balcony of honor, she had a grin on her face due to how things were playing out.

"Looks like you only had two good fighters, oaf!" Flavia said while having both eyes glued to the fight down below.

"Ha! Two fighters are all I need, just look at Marth – Chrom is having a hard time!" The bald man responded with confidence.

"Speaking of Chrom.., don't those two fight alike? Where did you find that young lad anyways."

The Khan pondered for a bit but ended up shrugging his head. "They just appeared out of nowhere and bested Lon'qu with ease."

Flavia raised an eyebrow to this, mostly because Lon'qu was a fierce fighter that few could ever best; may years she had lost due to that swordsman. "Maybe the man has lost his touch, I mean, that tactician is giving Lon'qu a run for his money." Flavia finally pointed out.

"Huh!?" The West-Khan glanced down at the battlefield, looking for his former champion. What the Khan saw left him dumbfounded.

Robin was fighting with a single hand, constantly blocking and parrying any attacks Lon'qu had to offer. The tactician was constantly countering and defending, switching his patterns to different fighting styles that were known to man-kind.  
Lon'qu could only keep attacking, doing his best to find an opening – the swordsman was growing desperate, and Robin knew this. The tempo, the melody, everything was in Robin's hands as the battle kept going; sadly there was one issue that someone who knew from experience, was starting to see – the West-Khan to be specific.

"Ha! That tactician's body can't keep up!"

Flavia didn't want to admit it just yet. "What makes you think that? Enlighten me, Basilio."

"He knows what to do, but lacks the strength or preparation to end the fight! I'm willing to bet my arse that the boy is barely keeping up with his mind," Basilio, the West-Khan, laughed out. "Lon'qu, on the other hand, has trained both mind and body alike, it all depends on stamina now."

Both Khans observed the ongoing fight, and slowly but surely, Robin was starting to slow down – it was even more obvious when he started using both hands – and was now barely keeping up with Lon'qu, who kept dishing out attacks one after another relentlessly with precise accuracy.

Lon'qu parried Robin's strike forcefully, causing the tactician to be wide open – Robin quickly rolled to the side – but the Feroxi fighter was too late to strike a second time.

This gave the Ylissean tactician a much-needed break. "You're an impressive fighter, I'll say that... Who knows why you decided to pick a fight with me."

Lon'qu maintained an offensive stance, ready to dash in at any given moment. "That blue haired woman.., they said you were Ylisse's best fighter."

Robin couldn't help but raised an eyebrow, wondering why Lucina would go to such lengths to get him off her back during this fight – suddenly it hit him – the tactician's eyes wandered and searched for Chrom's battle. Said prince in question was fighting Lucina at full force, the two were mirroring each other almost perfectly every time they would strike.

 _'Lucina wanted to prove something.., or rather, test herself and see if she was worthy.'_ Those words – words that came out of nowhere – echoed in Robin's head, drowning out any other sounds or voices around him.

"You dare underestimate me!?" Lon'qu's voice echoed throughout the arena. "Enough to daydream in the middle of a battle!?"

Robin barely flinched, turning slowly to face the Feroxi. No words were spoken as Robin switched his weapon's positioning; now holding a tome on his right and bronze sword on the left. The tome flipped through its pages and started creating electricity, said magic started dancing around Robin's right arm – once enough sparks were created – the Plegian taunted his foe with narrowed eyes while putting the tome back in his pocket.

Lon'qu held back a smile as he charged in, he was excited to finally fight someone that was potentially stronger than himself – someone that wasn't Basilio – granting Lon'qu the opportunity to improve himself.

Robin weaved out of his striking range, taking two steps back while throwing a spell without delay at Lon'qu's feet – forcing the swordsman to dodge out of the way – allowing Robin to dash in and engage with his sword.

The ex-champion barely kept his balance while defending against the barrage of attacks, any time Lon'qu took a few steps back; Robin would toss a Thunderbolt at his feet and re-engage.  
Things were started to change rapidly as Robin kept pushing Lon'qu back – the former ignoring their right arm going completely numb – until they reached the wall.

"Sorry..!" Robin spun back, dropping his blade and extending both hands. "Rexcalibur!"

Emerald rings of light appeared around the tactician – his coat swaying due to the overflowing magic – followed by Lon'qu's feet being surrounded by another magical circle. In a flash, the sound of rushing wind was heard as a large tornado of wind lifted the Feroxi off his feet and into the air.

"Wind..!" Robin barely gasped out as his vision darken, the spell hit Lon'qu straight on the chest and pushed the man into the shocked crowd.

No one believed what just happened, not even the Khans predicted this outcome; Marth and Chrom halted their fighting just in time to see Robin fall face first to the ground.

"Robin!" Chrom was close to running over to his fallen ally, but a certain pegasus knight rushed over already.

"Captain, focus!" Sumia shouted as she went over to Robin.

Chrom redirected his gaze in time to block an attack, Marth's patterns were starting to get obvious, as if they lacked any real battle experience. The Ylissean Prince took notice of this and parried an overhead attack, Chrom took a step forward and headbutted the Masked Swordsman – Marth stumbled back as Chrom started seeing stars – allowing the Prince to bash his shoulder on Marth's chest with his armored guard.

Marth's breath left their lungs forcefully as he fell flat on the ground, their sword falling nearby – Marth reached out for the blade – but Chrom was quick to stab it through the hole Falchion had and plant a foot on his opponent's chest.

"Yield..." The prince said with a solemn face, pointing his own Falchion straight at Marth's neck.

No one dared talk, the entire stadium awaited an answer from the fallen swordsman. "... I yield." At the sound of those words, the audience cheered as Chrom took a step back and sighed in relief.

"You fought well, but I can't help but have a few questions."

Marth simply got up and picked their weapon, already turning to leave. "I'm not here to talk, sir."

"Wait! Who is your father!?" Chrom called out to the retreating figure.

The masked swordsmen glanced behind their shoulder. "I've said enough for one day, sir." Was all they said before leaving the arena without another word.

Chrom turned to greet the sound of two horses galloping, Frederick and Kellam were completely unharmed, but sadly, the same couldn't be said for their tactician who was leaning on Sumia's back. "Good job everyone, this victory shall help Ylisse greatly, I'm proud and grateful."

Robin simply groaned in agony. "Need.., to stop doing... spells without tomes; Lissa, get her." Everyone chuckled, even if their tactician was seeing the world constantly spinning.

"You did it!" Lissa's voice made everyone turned towards the exit, she was accompanied by Flavia and the West-Khan.

The blonde tackled her brother, who spun her. "C-Clam down Lissa!"

"How can I calm down!? We finally got an alliance!"

Flavia laughed in agreement. "Indeed! For winning me the throne, you'll have my word – I will provide Ylisse with the soldiers she needs."

This made the Shepherd's perk up and smile in gratitude. "Truly? Thank you, East-Khan." Chrom bowed his head slightly.

"I should thank you! It feels like ages since I've held full power.., that oaf had Lon'qu winning tournaments year after year!" Flavia pointed to the bald man next to her, who had his arms crossed. "Come, my new friends! Tonight, we celebrate!"

"Bah!" Basilio expressed his annoyance while watching Flavia leave the stadium. "Any excuses for a party and Flavia jumps on it..."

Chrom turned to greet the tall man. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

"I'm the West-Khan you so rudely removed from power! You're handy with a sword, boy. I thought for sure I had picked the stronger team." Basilio glanced at the tactician who was being healed by Lissa. "That tactician bested my ex-champion as well, while you also bested my current one, unbelievable!"

Upon mentioning Marth, Chrom couldn't help but ask the Khan what he knew about him. "You mean that Marth fellow? He's just some sellsword with delusions of grandeur. All I know is that he turned up on eve and knocked out my old champion flat. It was love at first sight, and I'm generally too old for such things! Bahaha!"

Lissa and Robin walked up to the conversation, the latter still a bit dazed but was able to stand up on his own. "He's so dark and mysterious..." Lissa let out a heart struck sigh.

Robin chuckled, mostly due to Lissa thinking Lucina was a guy. "Sounds like Marth's got at least one fan."

"Hey, you can't blame me! He IS sort of dreamy, isn't he?"

Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose. "And YOU'RE sort of dreaming!" The prince said in a rather overprotective tone.

"Yowch!" Lissa giggled at her brother's reaction. "Lighten up, big brother! I was just kidding."

"Anyways!" Robin interrupted the two siblings before they continued. "We should go find Flavia and take her offer, dusk is upon us and I'm not feeling so good. Why not rest here?"

Frederick shook his head. "Shouldn't we make haste to the capital? Surely the exalt should know about this news."

"Peace, Frederick. We'll depart early in the morning to make up for it." Chrom reassured. "Mind leading the way, Khan.., Urr–"

"Basilio, boy. The name is Basilio." The West-Khan smiled before walking towards the general direction that Flavia took.

"Alright, let's go then – wait where's Robin?" Chrom glanced around and found out that the tactician was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

The halls were empty luckily, and I was taking the routes that would lead to the quickest exit. My mind was focused on one thing alone, I needed to find Lucina and speak to her before she left Regna Ferox.  
My feet still felt weak due to using all my mana against Lon'qu, but there was something I noticed; it was my hand, throughout the entire process of casting spells, it was burning like hell.

"There..!" Both my eyes locked onto a blue cape that just turned the corner, it was enough to encourage me to jog after it. "Lu– Marth!"

After turning the corner, I was greeted by the mysterious woman, her head looking over a shoulder. "... What do you want?"

"Glad I caught up to you.., and drop the act – no need to hide your real voice – I'm alone, trust me."

Lucina simply turned to face me and glanced behind my shoulder, nodding slowly after making sure we were indeed alone. "Robin, you mustn't interfere with my actions."

"Yes, and you have to stop trying to do them alone. Lucina, I remember who you are now." What I said made Lucina take a step back, putting her on high alert somehow.

"...What?" She muttered out while placing a hand on Falchion's hilt.

"You try to disguise yourself, but you're doing a horrible job – using Falchion, having dark cobalt hair, a fighting style very similar to Chrom's – honestly there's only a couple of explanations but they're all ruled out with simple facts."

Lucina tilted her head, obviously underestimating what I knew but also trying to act innocent. "Please, elaborate, sir."

A smile appeared on my face at the mere thought of bringing down the hammer once and for all, this puzzle has been bugging me the day I saw her. "For example, you couldn't have been trained under the same teacher as Chrom; for the man wasn't taught by anyone. My only conclusion would be that you're the daughter of the previous Exalt, same father of Chrom, but I highly doubt that – thus, you're Chrom's daughter, which explains the Falchion and many other things I been keeping track of."

After waiting for a minute or so, Lucina spoke up with a shaken voice. "That... That's impossible."

"No, it isn't – for I'm living proof of it – we're both from different lives, different worlds; we don't hail from this one."

"So, you're a time traveler? Like me?" Lucina asked all of a sudden.

Now it was my turn to have a shocked expression. "Time what now? Wait... You didn't get summoned by a mystical voice from – what I assume – the realm of the dead and got sent back to prevent some mysterious calamity?" Both my eyes widen after realizing I was wrong.

Silence befell upon us as we stood there, staring at each other with mirrored expressions of confusion.

"Pfft," Lucina finally couldn't hold in her fits of giggles, lifting a hand to cover her mouth. "A-And I thought my explanation was bizarre."

My face couldn't help but heat up as I watched her laugh at me. "H-Hey, it ain't easy trying to remember your past life... Especially when I'm supposed to know everyone around me already."

Lucina managed to control her laughter but kept a cheeky smile. "I'm sorry Robin – I wasn't laughing at you – for some reason I burst.., not because it was funny, but because of the stress I've been dealing with. So tell me, you know of my purpose?"

"No, not exactly – not yet at least – but I felt as if our paths must continue together, for we want the same result." The nagging feeling I had at the back of my head since day one was because of Lucina, something was drawing me to her, as if my purpose... My purpose was staying by her side.

"If you're saying that I should stay with the Shepherds, then I'm afraid I must refuse."

Somehow, I knew she would say that. "Then I'll go with you, let me help!"

"Absolutely not, this mission is mine to bare, and you must stay with Chrom – you're a crucial asset to the Shepherds." Lucina turned sideways, already getting ready to leave.

"Before you go, please promise me one thing..." What are you doing Robin? "If you ever need help, don't be afraid to seek it from me – I don't know what this gut feeling is, but you need to promise me to stay safe and seek help from others when needed."

Those words left my mouth without a second thought, I wanted to slap myself across the face for saying such a thing – acting as if she was a friend of mine – what right do I have to make her promise me anything.

Lucina stood there in silence for what seemed like forever. "Seems like you know my own future, just like I know yours... Very well, Robin, you have my word." With a nod, she turned and walked down the hallway.

My eyes watched her go, but it wasn't long till I heard someone call out my name. "Coming, Chrom! Was just looking for the restroom!"

* * *

 **AN: Alright, this was supposed to air yesterday, but my Internet decided to disagree with me on that regard. but I'm glad this chapter finally got released!  
As for the next one, I still don't know if it'll be posted one week from now, or it might be two (I'll make it longer than usual to make up for it if I delay it).  
On the bright side, we hit 50 followers - which astonishes me! Thank you so much for all the support and taking your time to read my silly story.**

 **One last thing I wanted to say; pairings, how should I do them. Children with their Mother's hair and some with their Father's hair for some uniqueness(?), use obvious pairings (For example, some units have a faster relationship than others) or my own pairings used in Lunatic runs.**

 **Feel free to recommend me said pairings via PM or Reviews~ I won't be focusing on their supports obviously, but they're essential to the story.**


	6. Chapter 6: An Omen Of War

**Disclaimer: In no way do I own the Fire Emblem Series, all content goes to their rightful owner.**

 **AN: Slowed down the pacing, especially since I have two weeks to work on the next chapter properly now; hope this won't be my undoing, haha!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: An Omen Of War.**

Location: Regna Ferox, Arena.

Sunlight crept through the curtains and hit my closed eyelids – making the already difficult struggle to stay asleep impossible – forcing me to sit up on my bed and let out an annoyed sigh.

Not only that, but a light headache was starting to appear as the light disturbed me greatly. "Ugh, where am I?" My eyes wandered around the room as different memories of what happened last night displayed themselves before me.

 _'Come on, boy!'_ Basilio taunted me with a cup of beer in hand. _'You represent Ylisse's finest! Surely you won't back away from my challenge!'_

Robin finally remembered the grand battle that the Shepherds lost.., the war that Chrom, Vaike, and himself lost against the mighty West-Khan.

 _'I rather not, one thing I'm sure about, is that I am a lightweight,'_ Robin attempted to excuse himself, however, Vaike started mocking him with chicken sounds, causing an already tipsy Chrom to chuckle.

Basilio laughed at this and gave the tactician one final chance to redeem himself. _'Are you going to take that, Robin!? Bahaha!'_

The defeated tactician sat in his bed in disappointment and shame. "Such a hot-headed and foolish decision of mine and they expect me to be their tactician..." Robin mustered the strength to get out of bed and reach for his boots and coat.

A knock on the door made the Plegian rush over while checking his pockets, making sure everything was in its place. "Darn, missing my sword– One moment!"

"Robin, we're about to march back to Ylisse!" Chrom's muffled voice responded from the other side of the door.

"Tsk', Alright!" Robin rushed out the room, giving up on the bronze sword. Once he opens the door, Chrom greeted him in the hall. "Hey, did I misplace my sword during the party or something?"

"No..?" The prince paused and pondered. "Actually, didn't you drop it during the tournament?"

Robin's eyes widen slightly as he facepalmed. "Shoot! Did the arena get cleaned up already?"

"Most likely, but fear not friend, the Khans have gifted us a convoy filled with useful equipment."

"That's awfully nice of them then, maybe I can my hands on a new iron sword!" Robin soon had a new spring in his step as the duo walked down the hall.

Chrom simply chuckled and followed the young man in silence, it wasn't long till they exit the building – which made Robin shiver – and got greeted by the snow.  
The land was colored in white, add in the morning sunlight and they had themselves one beautiful sight due to glittering snow.

"You know, if it wasn't for the cold, living here would be great."

A chuckle left Chrom's mouth as they both stood at the entrance. "It makes me want to travel the world,"

Robin glanced at the prince, who had a solemn face – his eyes however indicated stress. "Must be hard for you then," The tactician muttered under his breath.

"Pardon?" The Prince shifted his gaze towards Robin, tilting his head with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry, was just talking to myself. Best to not keep Frederick waiting, who knows what type of punishment he'll give me if I delay us any further."

Once the duo walked down a block or so, they caught up with the group of Shepherds that were preparing for the march back home.

As they approached the group, Frederick was the first one to notice their arrival, walking towards the duo with hands behind their back as usual. "Milord, preparations have been made and done, we shall leave at your command."

"Good, then let us make haste and move out before we lose any more daylight." With a nod, Frederick went out to repeat the prince's orders and get everyone moving.

"Chrom!" Flavia's voice stops the two men in their tracks. "We'll be sending Feroxi troops down the Plegian and Ylissean borders soon, you have our word."

The East-Khan was accompanied by Basilio, who nodded in agreement. "Yes, and one last thing," Said West-Khan moved to the side and presented Lon'qu with a hand. "A gift from the West, Lon'qu is easily my best fighter; especially since Marth left without a word, so I'm sure he'll come in handy."

Robin and Lon'qu locked eyes, the latter having a few bandages across his arms. Everyone noticed the tension between the two, prompting Chrom to speak. "Are you sure about this?"

Basilio simply laughed and nodded. "Tell them, Lon'qu!"

"... He orders, I stab – our roles are clear." Chrom could only nod upon hearing the Feroxi's straightforward answer.

"Whoa, you lost to Robin right!?" Lissa jumped down from a nearby convoy and walked into the conversation. "To think someone like you lost, you look so big and strong..."

Lon'qu took a step back as the ylissean Princess got closer, however, Lissa didn't get the hint and took a step forward once more. "Away, woman!"

"H-Hey!" Lissa stops in her tracks upon being shouted at. "What did I say?!"

Basilio howled in laughter and patted his ex-champion on the back. "Let's just say that ladies tend to put Lon'qu on edge."

Robin chuckled, which caused the swordsman to glare at the tactician. "S-Sorry, I couldn't help myself... Anyways, glad to have you on the team, Lon'qu. Hope we can get along." Robin held out a hand, which the Feroxi glanced at for a second before accepting the handshake.

"I fully expect a rematch, Ylissean."

"Likewise," Both men tighten the grip of their handshake and glared each other fiercely.

The Khans laughed at their youthful energy, while Chrom smiled nervously. "Gods, do I look like that when I fight with Vaike?"

Lissa nodded in response to her brother's question. "But I doubt these two will break tables and walls like Vaike and you usually do."

"Hey! That was an accident, plus, Vaike started it!" Chrom, upon shouting his rival's name, Vaike appeared from who knows where.

"The Vaike did nothing of sorts! Chrom was too weak to handle these muscles and fell on the table!"

"Oh, so you're calling me weak now? Might I remind you who has won almost every sparring session?"

"Ha! Teach always goes easy on ya, don't want to break ya bones or something!"

Lissa stood in awe, watching Chrom and Vaike shouting at each other, Robin and Lon'qu having a radiant aura around their bodies as they still held a handshake with creepy smiles, and Basilio somehow got into an argument with Flavia.

" _Stop fighting!_ " Lissa shouted at the top of her lungs until her poor voice cracked and she gasped for air.

Everyone – and this included the other shepherds – stop what they were doing and looked at the young princess. "Gods! We're supposed to be defending Ylisse, not fighting each other!" Lissa pouted and crossed her arms as the troublemakers nodded.

Chrom coughed and gained everyone's attention. "L-Lissa is right, we should head back to Ylisse now,"

"Safe travels!" Basilio puffed out his chest – hands on their waist – and smiled.

Flavia nodded. "Yes, send a messenger if those Plegian dogs cause any trouble."

"Thank you once again, Flavia, Basilio." Chrom bowed his head slightly and turned, taking the lead of the group.

Robin followed behind, alongside Vaike; who had the look of a scolded child. "Man didn't think Lissa would yell at us."

"Ha, I think we deserved it." Vaike simply shrugged at Robin's statement.

"Oh yeah! How about we have a little match once we get back, Teach saw how you moved out there and I think you'll be able to entertain good ol' Vaike."

"Nonsense, I still need a ton of training – my stamina is the main issue – Lon'qu barely lost against me." Robin glanced back, taking notice of the swordsman who walked at the side, avoiding the Shepherds and making his presence small.

This naturally made Robin want to help the man, get him more comfortable with the group, but something told Robin that Lon'qu preferred his peace and quiet.

"Bah, that guy has nothing on Teach! The Vaike only has time for the strongest, and you proved yourself out there, Teach has noticed you!"

Robin simply rolled his eyes and kept walking, watching the road ahead of them. "Sure, sure..."

* * *

 _Later that day, Sunset._

 _Location: Shepherd's Garrison_

The sun was starting to descend when the Shepherds reached the garrison, in which case many of them have split ways, including Robin who went up to his own little office inside their headquarters.

"Are you sure you don't want to join?" Chrom asked the tactician who walked into a dusty old room.

"Positive, need to make a journal of some kind, mostly to keep track of what I experienced back in Regna Ferox and future missions." Robin dust off the old desk, covering his mouth with a sleeve before opening a nearby window.

"I see.., seems like you're already taking the role of being our tactician quite nicely." Chrom smiled in appreciation once Robin turned to face the prince, who stood at the doorway patiently.

"Of course! I love this job because I can help and salvage innocent lives when the reach of my blade isn't enough."

Robin's words resonated in Chrom's mind, letting the meaning of them sink deeply into his heart. "And if that isn't enough, expect me to help as much as I can,"

"Ha, thank you, Chrom."

"Nonsense, I should be thanking you."

Footsteps interrupted the duo's conversation, and it wasn't long till Frederick appeared. "Milord, we should make haste to the capital now; steeds await us."

Chrom simply nodded and walked into the hall, giving Robin a short nod. "I'll see you tomorrow, the room next to your office has a bed that will suffice for the night."

Knight and Prince left the scene after that, allowing the lone tactician to sit down on a chair next to the wooden desk. Sadly the sun was setting, so the window behind Robin wasn't providing much lighting anymore – luckily Chrom gave him some spare candles – tempting the man to seek some light somewhere else.

"Might as well light up a few..," Robin reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a candle – setting it near a corner – and hovered a finger over the wick. "Fir–!?"

A sharp pain in Robin's heart overcame the man, making him clutch his chest in agony and start gasping for air. His vision pulsated red around the corners, a screeching sound echoed in his head, Robin could only endure the pain as he sat there paralyzed.

Seconds became minutes, and the pain was starting to fade away. "Gods..! What was that..?" Robin soon noticed that his hand felt as if it was on fire, forcing him to take off his right glove and stare at the now glowing purple symbol.

Sweat beads rolled down Robin's forehead as he stared at the mark. "... Was it because I was summoning magic?" The tactician hovered both hands on the wick, bracing himself for the west as he whispered ancient words.

This time, the pain came rushing back with great vigor, causing both a heartache and a buzzing sound in Robin's head causing him to groan in agony while falling onto the floor. Luckily the pain subsided, and Robin was able to stand up with the help of his chair.

"M-Maybe I should avoid using magic and get some help from Lissa," Robin glanced out the window, it was nearing sunset already. "Guess I'll just turn in for the night."

Later that same night, the door of the garrison slammed open, allowing a desperate prince to run up the stairs and towards Robin's room.

Once Chrom reached his door, he started knocking rapidly. "Robin, wake up!" Chrom heard some movement inside the room and rushed footsteps.

"C-Chrom?!" Robin said after opening the door in a hurry, only wearing his plain shirt and pants.

"We need to leave to the capital, now." Chrom's voice carried out an intense urgency, which dismissed any questions from the alerted tactician.

"R-Right, I'll meet you outside," Robin turned to grab his coat and boots, putting on the latter while skipping out of the room and putting on one of his footwear – switching and doing the same with his other limb in the hall – and rushed down the stairs.

"Over here, Robin," Chrom shouted, already on a horse and lending a hand.

The Plegian rushed over and took it, getting on the saddle behind the prince who instantly commanded the horse to move forward down the dark road.

"Care to elaborate was is going on now?" Robin voiced over the rushing wind.

"Yesterday, a nearby dukedom, reported an incident of a village close by being attacked by Plegian soldiers. Not only that, but the dastards abducted Maribelle, Duke Themis daughter."

Robin took a moment to process what the prince just said, not only did Plegia attack Ylisse once more, but they also kidnapped one of the Shepherds. "... The Plegian king, he's trying to provoke us even further."

"Exactly! And I don't understand how Emmeryn doesn't see that! Every day, Robin, every damn day, our borders get attacked over and over, countless people losing their homes and family due to these Plegian dogs." Chrom tightens the reins and pressed his heels on the horse's ribs, causing the poor creature to gallop at full force.

Robin's heart sunk even further than before, Chrom's hatred towards Plegia was starting to make him feel very uncomfortable. "So why am I heading over to the capital?"

"I need you to talk some sense into them, those advisers and council members only want what benefits their territory and will gladly agree with Emm when it suits them. That is why I asked them to wait while I bring you. Someone who I can trust after seeing your potential on the battlefield."

A sigh left Robin's lips – easily being masked by the rushing breeze – fully aware of how difficult it was going to be for a low ranking tactician with questionable origins like himself, to make the Exalt's advisers – both politicians and military – believe or agree with whatever he would say.

"Chrom, I'm grateful for trusting me so much, however, have you considered what the council members think of me?" The question floated around the duo for what seemed like forever, only the sound of their steed galloping through the quiet night could be heard.

"We need to try..," Chrom finally responded with an unpredictable tone. "No more will I sit back and watch Plegia have their way."

Those were the last words that rang through the lonely summer night until the duo reached Ylisstol.

* * *

 _Location: The Exalt's Palace, The Council Room._

Just like Robin suspected, the members of the council completely ignored Robin's presence, but that wasn't what tested the tactician's patience, it was how the older members would interrupt their own prince whenever Chrom would express his view on the matter.  
Not only that, but instead of figuring out the problem at hand, they had the guts to blame the Shepherds for not defending said borders and the raising threat of Risens that have been attacking their lands.

 _'Why am I not surprised at all..?'_ Robin's eyes wandered and glanced at Emmeryn, who was completely calm despite the constant talking and arguing that the councilors just had to keep up.

Suddenly, Emmeryn stomps a foot down, and with an even voice; explained how the Shepherds were gone due to a task she _herself_ had asked to be done, and how the basic military forces were responsible for such tasks during our absence.

This surprised Robin, for the Exalt never changed her tone, but something in her presence held such power that it was enough to control the entire room.

Robin had felt his mouth quirk up into an irresistible smirk at the mere sight of the councilors backing down. "Robin, what would be your opinion on the matter?" Emmeryn voice caught the tactician off guard, and suddenly being stared down by everyone made his throat feel dry.

After hearing countless perspectives, Robin felt like he was finally ready to speak. "We parley, just like Emmeryn said,"

Chrom's face hardened upon hearing this, obviously feeling betrayed. "Robin..,"

"However, we'll move out with the Ylissean military and the Shepherds." A few whispers began to spiral throughout the room until Phila – who stood at the entrance of the room – spoke up.

"The Plegian king wants the Exalt to heed his demands without the support of her army."

Taking advantage of this, one of the advisors - who seemed to be a general of some sorts - spoke up. "That's absurd! He expects us to send our Grace out there without protection?"

Another thing that Robin noticed, the politicians were whispering to one another while glaring the Exalt down with their daggering eyes.

Robin simply shook his head. "Do you want the Exalt dead or alive?" The simple question was enough to silence everyone in the room. "Don't you realize that if this situation goes dire, we have a high chance of losing our Exalt _and_ the borders. If Emmeryn doesn't attempt to parley, the Ylissean people will continue to suffer until the wound grows deeper and deeper."

Upon being greeted with silence, the white-haired tactician continued. "This King doesn't seem like the type of guy to play fair, so why should we? The Shepherds escort Emmeryn to the border while the Ylissean Army hangs in the back, securing an escape route if the worse comes to pass."

Once Robin finished, a few nods of approval were given - mostly the military members - and luckily the plan was somewhat enough to be considered, it was rather basic and something any tactician would say, but sometimes the simplest of tactics were the most effective ones. Besides, Robin was more comfortable with changing tactics on the field depending on the situation, rather than expecting everything to work from the safety of his office.

"Even if we did retreat, Tactician, where would we take cover." One of the members more or less demanded an answer from me.

"Themis, of course. Sadly we'll need to evacuate the people there, but that shouldn't be too difficult with the help of our Exalt," Robin took a small pause and glanced at Emmeryn, who nodded in agreement. "Safety comes first when it comes to the people of the realm, so we should make sure Themis' population is secured before advancing with the parley."

This was enough to quench many doubts in the room, for it was now obvious that Robin's previous plan of action was merely the surface of a complex strategy that considered many factors in one fell swoop.

Emmeryn stood up, a gentle smile on her face. "Very well, it seems like our meeting has come to an end with that." No one dared pressed any further, and Robin watched as all the members of the council picked up their documents – some even giving the tactician a glare, mostly the elder generation – and left without a word.

 _'How pathetic, instead of working together, they just waste time on questioning my position and origins; not that I blame them, but still.'_ Robin stretched in his seat and let out a small yawn, only Chrom, Emmeryn, Phila, and himself remained in the room.

"Very well, we'll depart at dawn. Robin, let's go." Chrom said as he stood up, chair scraping the floor as it was sent back from the prince's urgency.

However, Robin simply got up and stood his ground. "Chrom, wait,"

All eyes turned to face the white-haired tactician of the Shepherds, who stared into Chrom's eyes with a solemn face.

Chrom tilted his head in question. "What is it, Robin?"

Robin closed his eyes – taking a deep breath – before looking at the prince once more. "What is your opinion on this situation?"

Seemingly taken aback from the question, the prince adverted his eyes and was never able to maintain eye contact every time he attempted to. Robin felt himself frown; knowing very well where this was going, and how dangerous Chrom's thoughts have become.

Not only that, but Robin could feel Emmeryn's appraising gaze on him, wondering why he would ask such questions.

Eventually, Chrom let out a heavy sigh – which answered Robin's question – as he turned his gaze back to his white-haired, hazel-eyed tactician.

"... If the final decision was up to me, a war would be my answer," Chrom replied without shifting his eyes, avoiding his sister's searching gaze as much as possible. "Those Plegian dogs won't see reason, as much as Emm wants to believe they will. If fighting a war is the only way I can end this madness, then I'll gladly pick up my steel – alone or not – I won't stand aside and watch as my country and people are being dragged to hell by the hands of the mad king, Gangrel."

Like many times prior, at the mention of Chrom's hatred for Plegia, Robin's heart sunk as he nodded. "I see..."

"Is something wrong, Robin?" Chrom asked with a frown.

The tactician shook his head. "Many things, Chrom... Things that I fear I cannot say at the very moment," A small pause filled the room in silence. "Sorry, I was just talking to myself – go on ahead, I still need to do a couple of errands." Robin gestured to a pile of papers on the desk that were given out before the meeting started.

At first, Chrom was going to say something – judging by how he opened his mouth – but ended up nodding and leaving the room with few goodbyes.

Robin sat back on his chair and covered his face with both hands. "What am I going to do?"

"Do what, friend?"

Emmeryn voice made Robin freeze mid-rub. _'Tsk' I forgot I wasn't the only one here...'_ Upon glancing up – uncovering his face – he was greeted by the Exalt's stare.

"Forgive me, Your Grace," Robin straighten his back and clasped both hands. "I forgot you were here. Please forgive my unmannerly muttering."

"Peace friend, but I do wonder; what was the reasoning behind your question?"

Emmeryn held a soft smile as she stared deep into my own eyes, her presence was always something that left me in awe, always emitting a sense of peace and protection.

"... This whole situation between Ylisse and Plegia.., forgive me Your Grace, but I believe Ylisse is solely digging itself its own grave."

Emmeryn closed their eyes and sighed tiredly. "So you would prefer war, the way my brother has?"

"Not entirely.., while my positioning does take advantage of situations such as warfare – I believe Chrom has a different image on what I envision on the matter," Robin stood up and showed signs of leaving, but was not yet finished speaking with the Exalt. "Ylisse is still recovering from the previous one, and from what I could tell, Plegia at this point is taking full advantage of this, especially their King, who is feeding his people's rage and vengeance with certain facts."

Robin's piercing gaze glared at the Exalt's jade colored eyes. "So you know?"

"About the previous Exalt? Yes, I do – and I admire your intentions – but forgive my rudeness Your Grace, but they're quite naive."

Upon hearing what Robin said, Phila took a step forward. "How dare–!" Before the Falcon Knight could continue, Emmeryn raised a hand and silenced the veteran knight.

"Please Robin, continue – your words are very important to me, you know."

The tactician simply nodded, ignoring the knight that wanted nothing more but to stab him. "I'm merely a low ranking tactician with questionable origins, I doubt my opinions would matter much,"

"That's precisely why I care, you wield no rank that clouds your mind, nothing to lose and everything to show; Chrom has given your trust, and so have I – have you forgotten already?"

A smile tugged the Plegian's lips. _'Of course not, how could I forget Ylisse and all my friends – I just haven't found the pieces yet... ha ha.'_

"Robin?"

Emmeryn voice was enough to pull the man out of his small trance. "Sorry, I just need a moment to collect my thoughts..." Upon being answered with a nod, the tactician sat down once more and lowered his head.

The situation was dire, being peaceful would only cause more problems, while going to war would devastate the halidom. Robin knew that both Chrom and Emmeryn were right, but lacked one important thing... A balance between the two ideals was needed and Robin's current job was that of the scale.

"... Look, I'm not saying you should go straight into war and slaughter everyone in sight – your ideals of peace are absolute – however, you can't afford to drown yourself in your own dream world and not prepare for when war _does_ come. Just because you don't want something to happen.., doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare for it and stop it as fast as possible for when it does occur.."

Robin held his tongue after saying what needed to be said, now all that remained was to wait and hear the Exalt's answer.

Seconds soon became minutes, and it seemed forever before the Exalt responded with an unexpected answer. "I understand..."

"Your Grace..," Robin smiled, happy to hear that his words were enough, however, upon closer inspection; Emmeryn eyes held some sadness. "You aren't wrong in wanting peace, Your Grace, but war and peace aren't just black and white."

"Peace, Robin, I know your words held no ill intentions," she continued. "however, I would be lying if I said your words didn't do any harm, being told you're wrong is never easy to take."

Robin panicked slightly upon hearing this, especially since Phila was giving him the death stare. "F-Forgive me Your G-Grace!" The tactician got up and bowed his head. "My intentions held the utmost respect ever possible!"

Silence fell before the room until a certain someone started giggling, prompting the tactician to perk up. "Robin, I only jest. Your words have opened my eyes, and made me realize my mistake before it was far too late to turn tail."

The tactician could feel his cheeks warm at such remarks. Luckily the Exalt has a better temperament when compared to other infamous rulers, or else he would have already been sent to the gallows by now.

"That said, I will still attempt to parley with King Gangrel once more, something I'm sure you already know,"

Robin nodded. "Of course, I hadn't expected that to change; which explains the plan of action I mentioned prior."

Emmeryn let out a soft laugh. "Good.., thank you for your honest words, Robin. Truly, it is easy to see why my siblings have entrusted their faith in you, and for what it is worth, you have mine as well."

The Exalt's words were enough to fill the tactician with a bit of confidence. "A great deal, that's how much it is worth – thank you for the high praise."

"And praise well deserved, I hope to rely on your wisdom in the future," she continued with a soft smile. "But I have kept you here long enough, I understand that you have preparations to make, you may take your leave."

"Yes of course! By your leave, Your Grace." Robin got up and bowed, excusing himself and heading out of the war room.

Emmeryn sat back in her chair and let out a heavy sigh. "Strange individual, isn't he?"

"Aside from the disrespectful mannerism that he has, yes, he's rather interesting," Phila scoffed while glancing at the exit, making sure the tactician was out of earshot.

The Exalt simply smiled. "Peace, what Sir Robin said was merely facts. However, his way of speaking is rather impressive, so much so, that if one didn't see how young Robin is, they would confuse him with a veteran commander. Speaking with such supreme confidence isn't as simple as it seems, it requires time and experience; perhaps Robin is simply that talented, a born leader at that."

"Your Grace, I'm afraid we still can't say that... A politician can do the same," Phila was still wary, mostly due to not seeing the tactician in the field just yet. "I am inclined to believe Prince's Chrom reports on Robin's performance, but he has yet to be truly tested."

However, Emmeryn didn't completely listen to what the falcon knight just uttered out. "Phila, do you believe Robin will bring us certain victory?"

"Only time will tell, Your Grace."

"Very well," Emmeryn stood up. "Report the Ylissean army of this matter, we must take arms and prepare for the worse."

Phila eyes widen in shock. "Y-Your Grace?! Are you certain?" Her voice obviously shaken from the unexpected turn of events. "B-But the councilors, surely they will argue upon hearing such things; some may even accuse you of going down the same path your father went."

The Exalt shook her head – blonde locks swaying side to side – and gazed upon her worried knight. "... I am certain this is the correct course of action, there's a difference between attacking and defending, the Ylissean army shall defend and protect the realm."

"Of course!" Phila bowed and hurried out of the room, making sure to deliver the order as fast as possible.

Emmeryn walked over to a nearby window, eyes catching a glimpse of a duo exiting the palace. "Please, Robin, prove my doubts wrong – for the sake of Ylisse..."

* * *

 _The next day, few hours after dawn._

 _Location: Ylisstol, Shepherd's Barracks._

The sound of a sneeze, filled the room, disrupting the tactician's flow of work and causing Robin to lean back in his chair and stretch his arms. "Gods, this dusty room can't be healthy..," He uttered while getting up and leaning out the window.

All the Shepherds were training with vigor outside in the fields, tomorrow would be the day they shall depart to face Plegia, and preparations were still being made. Robin lost himself in the view, watching his friends laugh at one another - specifically Vaike, who couldn't seem to beat Lon'qu - only realizing his trance after a minute or so.

"I should get back to work..."

Robin glanced at the horror that was the piles of papers resting on his desk, even one of his chairs had a stack of countless encyclopedias that needed to be read through for certain documents. Normally, such a sight would discourage any reasonable human being, but Robin was somehow very accustomed to such a sight.

Emmeryn ended up lending part of the Ylissean army to Robin's command, so in total, he was responsible for around one hundred soldiers, excluding the Shepherds. Such high numbers didn't even come close to surprising Robin or putting him on edge, which made him grateful; as he was working at a fast pace.

"However, I need a break... Pretty sure I skipped breakfast too." The tactician uttered to himself in a sad tone.

"Gods, you sound like Stahl!" A cheery voice that was without a doubt, Sumia's, made Robin glance at the door.

Robin tilted his head, questioning why the rookie pegasus knight was here. "Greetings, Sumia. Do you need something?"

"No, of course not," Sumia shook her head and walked over to his desk, taking a glance at all the papers. "I just figured you needed a break from all of this."

"Ah," A chuckle escaped Robin's mouth. "Yes, a small distraction would be nice."

Sumia nodded and gestured towards the door. "Why don't you come and train with us for a bit?"

The thought had crossed Robin's mind numerous times, but his recent workload and events have prevented that. "Sure, why not."

Robin followed the brunette until they reached the training grounds, which was filled with energy, especially due to Vaike and Lon'qu, who were training against each other with little to no remorse to one's health.

"Did those two get in a fight or something?" Sumia shook her head upon hearing the question.

"Vaike tends to provoke anyone during training, but it's to improve his own skills – it may not seem like it – but he's very serious when it comes to fighting for improvement." This made the tactician reflect on what Vaike said back in Regna Ferox, how he only fights the strongest.

"Huh, guess I had the man wrong," Robin observed the axe-wielder aim for Lon'qu head, who swiftly dodged and kicked Vaike straight in the chest – causing a win on Lon'qu's part.

"Robin, c'mon!" Sumia's voice caused the white-haired tactician to refocus, the knight was waiting on an empty section of the training grounds, holding two spears.

"A spear? Sumia, I'm afraid I lack skills when it comes to that weapon..." Robin said with an apologetic smile.

However, the pegasus knight nodded with a determined look. "Exactly! I'm really bad when it comes to the basics of combat, so if I have someone who is more or less on my level, well, we can both improve."

"If you say so," Robin grabbed the spear. "Very well, let us train for a bit then."

Both Shepherds took a couple of steps away from each other – only three meters stood in between them – before taking their own stances. Robin went for a very old stance, extending both legs wide, knees properly bent at a ninety-degree angle, while holding the spear across his frame and facing sideways towards Sumia.  
On the contrary, Sumia stood tall and held her own weapon behind her back – spear tip facing the ground – holding it with her left hand.

 _'Interesting stance, as if she is mounting her pegasus...'_ Robin didn't underestimate the knight, especially if she's in the Shepherds; surely it must be for a reason. "Ready when you're, Sumia!"

"Right!" Without hesitation, the knight dashed forward at an alarming speed and spun while extending their lance, forcing Robin to duck underneath and retreat before Sumia slammed down her spear where he once stood.

"Whoa..." Robin whispered as he observed Sumia return to her original stance, staring into his hazel eyes with her own determined stare. Like the tactician suspected, Sumia was very skillful when serious.

Robin quickly retaliated by thrusting forward, using his waist to increase the speed and force behind his strike; sweeping the ground upon missing the strike. Sumia dodged all of his moves and switched to an offensive position, holding the spear with both hands – at a fair distance apart from each other – and thrusting forward; almost nailing the retreating tactician on the chest.

Sumia didn't let up her attacks, spinning and gaining ground constantly and forcing Robin to step back out of his stance and overall losing balance. Her strategy was that of a charging steed, and Robin was starting to feel very overwhelmed. Seemingly out of nowhere, Robin fell for a trap after jumping above a sweeping spear, Sumia predicted this; already spinning the spear behind her back before thrusting forward, nailing the tactician on the chest before he touched the ground.

Robin fell on his back as the air left his lungs. "... Ow," Was all he could gasp out.

Sumia blinked a few times – still in her end position – before dropping the spear behind her and rushing over to the fallen tactician. "R-Robin! I'm _so_ sorry! Ugh, stupid, stupid, stupid me!" The brunette panicked as she kneeled down next to him.

"Huh? Sorry for what?" Robin sat up, rubbing the area that got hit by the wooden weapon. "What doesn't kill you, just makes you stronger, eh?"

Sumia smiled as Robin chuckled to himself and got up. "I wasn't expecting that to hit you, sorry–"

"That was amazing!" The tactician remarked with an enlightened expression, eyes filled with excitement. "Sumia, your way of wielding the lance is almost enough to inspire me on picking up the weapon."

"O-Oh, I wouldn't say that," Sumia looked down at her hands, being her modest self like usual.

"Nonsense! Seriously, it just felt like you were in complete control of the battle, with the reach of the spear; both offense and defense were met, gosh I think I'm in love!"

"L-Love?!" Sumia blushed slightly.

"Yes, in love with the art of the lance!"

"Oh..." Sumia smiled with uncertain eyes. "Was it truly that impressive..?"

Robin heard the small question, it was mostly directed to herself, but he felt like it was time to give the knight a small boost of confidence. "Hey, Sumia," Robin continued once she looked up at him. "The Shepherds are an elite group, a squadron that is picked out by Chrom himself, do you truly think you're wasting space here?"

"... Honestly, I don't know... I'm sure I only got this position due to Cordelia rejecting the offer."

"Cordelia?" The name sounded familiar, but Robin could only associate the name with the color red.

"Ah, Cordelia is a very close friend of mine, but she's in the Pegasus Squadron; Chrom invited her, but she rejected the position, said something about how she felt like she didn't deserve it."

Robin nodded but smiled encouragingly. "So you believe you're merely plan b..?" Upon being greeted with a small nod, the tactician couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "That is nothing but lies! You've proved in our trip to Regna Ferox how talented you are, would Chrom truly waste time with you on the team if he believed you weren't worthy?"

Sumia didn't answer at first, finding the ground more interesting as her locks obscured her eyes. "Then I ask of one thing, Robin..."

"Go ahead,"

The tactician watched as the Pegasus Knight rose to her feet, her face still staring at the ground. "A rematch..." Sumia locked eyes with Robin. "Let me face your swordplay, I saw how you moved in Arena Ferox, let me prove to myself how worthy I am."

Robin felt his lips turn into a smile. "That's the spirit!" Said tactician rushed over to a bench that held a few practice weapons, grabbing the first wooden sword in sight.

"I won't be holding back," he continued. "Don't let me down, Sumia!"

Sumia took the same stance, while Robin took the position of the fool's guard – holding the blade in his right arm – fully intending to see how experienced the pegasus knight was.

The ylissean knight charged forward, heading straight for Robin's chest – a trap he had set up – allowing him to sidestep and parry the blow, followed up by landing a blow on Sumia's striking arm.

"You've lost," Robin smirked as Sumia blinked twice before realizing what happened.

"Again!" She demanded, which Robin agreed to.

Once more, the match started as Sumia jumped into the air with an aerial thrust, this time a high guard was used by the tactician, allowing him to dash forward and slide the spear away from his head and stabbing the rookie's shoulder all in once single step.

"Once more!" Sumia shouted and got into position, her eyes closing just long enough to take a deep breath and refocusing.

This time, Robin charged forward – ignoring the defensive position Sumia took – forcing the rookie to retreat as he parried strike after strike, the fifth attack landing directly on the spear tip's and redirecting it to the side. "Your guard is open!"

Sumia didn't falter, taking two steps back while spinning, forcing Robin to duck and lose the distance he had gained. "I won't lose this time!" The knight shouted while switching to the offensive.

Robin buckled – barely guarding – underneath the weight that was her downwards slam. "Hrrgh!" Robin managed to break the deadlock and rolled to the left, but Sumia was close behind.

"Ha!" A quick thrust was all it took to further push Robin back – almost causing him to lose his footing – but managed to tumble back to safety.

Suddenly, before Sumia could continue the aggression, Robin increased the tempo and took a step forward while uppercutting with his blade; Sumia on the other hand, leaned her head back and barely dodged it.

"Checkmate!" Robin advanced once more with his left leg, pushing Sumia back with a shoulder, allowing the tactician to strike the poorly balanced knight's chest.

The rookie pegasus knight stumbled back and winched. "Ah, pegasus poop, I can't even win with the weapon advantage."

"Oh? I wasn't holding back there, I honestly thought you would easily beat me if I let my guard down, even if it was for a single second," Robin said in an honest tone, but Sumia didn't believe his statements that easily.

"Maybe a bit more training with Frederick will help me improve.., or even Sully." Sumia uttered out to herself.

 _'That explains how she's so adept at using the spear.., Frederick must have also taught her how to control her emotions during battle – the Sumia I know outside of combat is completely different.'_ Out of the corner of Robin's eye, he noticed a crowd forming, most of the Shepherds had to stop what they were doing and found their sparring session rather interesting.

"Seems like we had an audience," Robin spotted Chrom. "And our Captain was among them."

Sumia instantly turned, cheeks heating up upon seeing her fellow comrades. "G-Gods and I did terribly!"

"Nonsense!" Chrom spoke up, walking towards the two. "Both of you are doing an exceptional job."

Robin smiled at their little interaction, Chrom would compliment the girl and encourage Sumia every time she doubted herself. Honestly, it was best to just leave the two and get back to work at this point, which made the tactician head back into the garrison.

"Robin," Chrom's voice made the man turn back with a confused expression. "Frederick will be sending a copy of our Roster soon, we'll depart at dawn, tomorrow."

"Right, I'll make sure preparations are met by tonight," Robin left after saying that, entering the common room first for a quick drink of water.

Once the tactician sat down at a lonely table – in order to cool off – he noticed a mage staring at him from across the room. This young lad most likely hasn't even hit puberty, given his height and young face.

"It's rude to stare, you know?" Robin gave the now panicking young lad a smile, before gesturing to the cheat across from him. "I'm assuming you need to speak with me?"

"Y-Yes... You're the tactician, right?" The young mage said while walking up – gesturing the chair for permission to sit down – and sat down upon being greeted with a nod of approval. "My name is Ricken, and I have a small request."

"Ricken... Ah, I remember your name; what can I do for you?"

"How do I say this... Well, I want to go on the mission tomorrow," Ricken's eyes searched his, but upon being greeted with a confused expression, Ricken continued. "Let me prove myself! Please, Chrom always says I'm not ready due to my age, but how can I grow and become stronger if I sit back and do nothing!?"

Robin was a bit taken back from the little rant, but something told him – once he eyed the green tome – that it would be a good idea to allow Ricken. "Hmm.., sure you can come."

Now it was the young's mage to look back in shock, completely expecting to be turned down just like many times before. "R-Really?" Ricken stood up, slamming both hands on the table and leaning towards Robin's face.

Said tactician simply leaned back in his chair and nodded. "However, only on one condition,"

"Anything!"

Robin couldn't help but chuckled, as the brunette's eyes lit up with excitement. "We go outside, and you hit me with your strongest magical attack."

"Wait, what..?! Um, alright then," Suddenly, Ricken's eyes widen. "What if Chrom sees us?"

"I'll just tell him that we're sparring, or that I was interested in your high potential in the arcane arts," Robin said in a matter of fact tone and went outside, Ricken shortly following behind in a hurry while holding his overly sized mage-hat in place.

Just like before, Robin walked over to an empty spot on the training grounds and instructed Ricken to take a few feet away from where the tactician stood. "Alright, now go ahead and conjure a wind spell."

"Are you sure about this?" The mage shouted from afar.

"Positive, at this distance your spell won't do much harm to me if it lands, but it'll allow me to judge how much magic you can charge up into a single attack; go all out."

Ricken nodded after being assured everything would be fine – closing his eyes to mutter under his breath some ancient words – and opened his green tome, pages flipping through as symbols of light appeared around its caster.

"Here I go!" Once a circle of light appeared in front of Ricken, he raised a palm and braced himself. "Wind!"

Robin's eyes locked onto the incoming danger, a fairly decent sized blade of light. _'Seems strong enough,'_ In an instant, Robin slapped the spell away and redirected it to the ground, causing dust to fly up as the blade vanished.

Something was essential when it came to Ricken's potential when using magic, and Robin was starting to remember the key difference between Plegia and Ylisse. "This would prove useful if we fight against Wyvern Riders..."

"Robin, teach me how you did that!" The high pitch voice was enough to send the tactician back to reality.

"Teach what?" Robin tilted his head as Ricken jumped up and down with excitement.

"You know, how you slap my spell away with your hand – it looked so cool – it would make me so much stronger and I can prove to everyone–"

"Whoa, now!" Robin interrupted the boy before he could continue. "What I did there were just reflexes, I doubt I would be able to teach such a thing easily."

Ricken gave him a look of disbelief. "There's gotta be a trick to it, you can't just fling a spell aside like its nothing!"

Robin could only sigh as he looked at the sky – sun already at its highest peak – before shaking his head. "Can't right now," The tactician continued while walking away. "I have too much work to do, especially since a new soldier is apparently joining the ranks on an exclusive surprise mission."

What the tactician said was enough for Ricken to catch on with what he meant. "Something about them using a convoy before dawn to sneak into our frontline? Man, soldiers, these days are a hassle, aren't they, Ricken."

The tactician looked over his shoulder, Ricken had a bright smile on his face before nodding in agreement. Seeing that the young boy was satisfied, Robin returned to the garrisons and head straight for his office – not even realizing when he went up the stairs – thinking solely to himself just how he would apologize to Chrom for bringing the young child along.

"Guess I'll just hope that my plan works, and maybe then, Chrom will accept bringing Ricken along – just don't mess up kid," A door was swung open – Robin's office – and revealed Frederick walking out of the room.

"Ah, Robin. Milord asked me to deliver a copy of the roster, I have placed it on your desk and took the liberty to dust out the room." The stalwart knight explained swiftly before bowing his head slightly and walking away.

Robin took a glance inside the office, surprised to find the place much cleaner than before. "Thanks, Frederick!" He shouted towards the retreating figure.

On the other hand, the horror that was the pile of papers still sat on Robin's desk; an obstacle that he _knew_ would take all night to surpass if he didn't hurry.

"Best start now and prevent me from working till dawn..."

* * *

 **AN: Like mentioned prior, I slowed down the pacing... And I gotta say, I enjoyed this chapter a lot more than my previous one (even if my file got corrupted the first time I was making this chapter).**

 **Feel free to let me know how you guys felt with the slow down time, and thank you so much for the follows/reviews/and for bothering to read this story!**

 **Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Exalt And The Mad King

**Disclaimer: In no way do I claim to own the Fire Emblem Franchise, all content goes to their rightful owner!**

 **AN: Sorry for the week delay, lots of things got in my way, such as FE: Echoes, (Insert many excuses that don't need to be mentioned here).**

 **Anyways, let us get into the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: The Exalt and The King**

 _Location: Dukedom Themis_

The bright sun shined down the traveling Shepherds, who just arrived at the highly respected Dukedom, Themis. People were already being evacuated long before Chrom's arrival, but a couple of Yliseans were either still gathering their stuff or protesting – much to Robin's discomfort – and generally wasting precious time.

Robin picked up the pace of his walk and caught up with Chrom who was at the front. "Hopefully we don't spend too much time here," Robin continued. "Who knows what Plegia will do as time goes by."

Chrom nodded and glanced around the almost now empty buildings. "Two entire days have gone by since the report, I'm no strategist, but I am sure that has given them enough time to lay down traps."

"Indeed, we're walking towards the serpent's den."

"Glad we're on the same page," Chrom said with a tired sigh. "Hopefully everything goes well."

Robin continued to march alongside the prince in silence, it was only until they reached the plaza where things started to buzz with activity, countless soldiers running around and preparing weapons and armor alike.

"It seems like Ylisse still knows how to prepare for battle..," Robin muttered to himself, occasionally glancing up to the skies and spotting a few pegasus knights doing their routines.

"Milord," Frederick's voice caught the duo's attention. "Reports have been sent in, Plegia's army awaits us at the border as we speak. It said that their army easily exceeds the hundreds, backed up with Wyvern Riders and fortresses."

Said information was easy to shake any novice, but Robin considered the information and simply nodded. "We'll move our archers closer to the front lines then, guarded by our knights, while mages will be taking aim behind said knights for extra backup, we won't allow them to advance if they attempt to attack us."

Frederick listened, however, the stalwart knight glanced at Chrom, awaiting his confirmation. "Yes, what Robin said might work, but we lack mages."

"Such a thing shouldn't be an issue," The tactician smiled lightly. "We'll assign Miriel there, I have already given her a general basis of our war commands, it'll allow me to control the ranks easier at the front alongside Emmeryn's honor guards."

"... Very well, so that will be it for our men?" Chrom's question was answered with a nod, which in turn, the prince made way to the other generals and soldiers in order to pass the plan around.

Frederick shortly followed and left the tactician behind the former catching up with the prince. "Milord, are you sure about this? Surely you'll want a trained and experienced tactician commanding over one hundred units."

"Fear not, Frederick. I have considered such things and signed an extra tactician into our ranks, but I still fully trust Robin, someone who fights alongside us and commands our group based on traits and performance is someone I cannot help but admire."

"Milord, not to be rude, but this is the situation is very different from that of commanding our small group of Shepherds."

Chrom suddenly halted, causing the Knight to stop as well. "Instead of questioning my every decision, how about you check if our men are prepared."

"Milord..,"

"I'm aware that your intentions are pure, Frederick. That you only wish for the best; which is why I'm very grateful, however, I believe in Robin and his skills that he has showcased as of late," Chrom started to remember the words the tactician used in order to convince the councilors. "And if you don't believe in him, at the very least, believe in me."

At first, the Knight stood in silence, not sure on how to respond to his prince. "Is that an order..?"

Chrom simply sigh. "If it was, you would obey without a word, but that isn't my intention; consider it a suggestion, now go check our soldiers.., now that is an order." The prince simply smirked upon saying that.

"Of course, Milord."

Once Frederick was gone, Chrom's expression saddens upon glancing at the west gates where the army would march through and meet the Plegian king. "Hopefully my trust isn't misguided, unlike my father, I would like to be able to keep trusting others..."

...

Robin looked around the many convoys - eyes shifting - on the look out for a specific barrel. "Gods, where is the lad? Ricken!?" He shouted the young mage's name but was responded with silence. "The road was bumpy as well.., please tell me the barrel didn't fall off and we lost the kid!?"

"I'm not a kid!" The muffled voice was heard at a distance.

Robin followed the sound of said voice and spotted a shaking barrel, it wasn't long till the lid pop off and Ricken's head peeked out. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

This made Robin chuckle lightly, in both amusement and relief. "Right, of course. Anyways, we have arrived at our destination, best for you to put on the coat we talked about and sneak into our ranks."

Ricken jumped out of the barrel in a single motion and pulled out a brown coat that was inside said hiding spot. "I'm excited, finally a big mission that I can help in!"

"We still don't know if any fighting will occur, but something tells me the chances are rather high..." Robin said while looking around the convoy, countless weapons and medical supplies were visible.

"So, what's the plan?" Ricken asked after putting on the concealing coat.

"Just hang back with the other mages, your main job will be taking out any wyvern riders from the skies."

Upon hearing this, Ricken took a small step back with uncertain eyes. "W-Wyverns..?"

"Yes, Wyverns, big scaly flying reptilians that can somehow breathe fire if they wanted. I thought Ylisseans were aware of how they look like." Robin couldn't help but smile at Ricken's now worried expression.

"No, no! I know how they look like, and I'm aware of what they do! It's just.., gosh I wasn't expecting to fight one..." Ricken looked down at his feets for a bit, before glancing back up. "Are you not from Ylisse, Robin?"

For once, the tactician's eyes widen. "Where did that come from?"

"It's just that you said Ylisseans, so I'm just wondering if you're from Feroxi or something, it would explain the large coat – although the symbols look weird."

Robin sighed inwardly, taking a mental note to mind his words carefully next time. "I've lost my memories, so I can't help but speak in a way that doesn't include myself in this halidom,"

"Wait, you have no idea where you're from?" Ricken looked at Robin in shock.

"Correct," He lied. "But we should head out, everyone is currently moving about and it would be wise not to get left behind."

Ricken didn't question any further and trailed behind the now moving tactician, many of the Ylissean soldiers were indeed moving around already, some even forming groups and ranks that would march over to the Plegian borders.

The countless amount of papers Robin had to put up with were approved by the military, but there was a certain catch for them being accepted, many of the Shepherds were forced to split up and join various groups; Sumia was a prime example of this, already in the air with her fellow pegasus knights.

"At least they didn't waste time by questioning me over and over..." Robin muttered to himself, observing – while walking – the moving squadrons.

"What was that?" Ricken attempted to converse.

"Hmm," Robin eyed the young lad who was probably denied constantly for his age. "I was just saying that being constantly rejected by others who don't know my abilities, is rather annoying."

Almost in an instant, Ricken's eyes lit up as he gasped, nodding soon after. "Right!? People just never understand that everyone deserves a chance to show what they can do!" Ricken paused for a second. "Wait, is that why you allowed me to come along?"

Robin heard the mage take a sudden halt, causing the tactician to stop and look over his shoulder. Ricken seemed to have a disappointed face as if the lad was lied to and was only being filled with pity. "Nonsense, your magical talents will help greatly against Plegian soldiers, especially wyvern riders."

Ricken's expression lightens somewhat, but Robin just sighed and continued walking, the two were now very close to the west gates and approaching a small group of mages. "Ricken, you'll stay with this group,"

"What about you?"

"I'll be moving through the ranks, I have to be near the front most of the time," Robin waited for any response, but upon being greeted with a nod, the man left. "Just stay with the mages." Was the last thing he said while heading towards Chrom's group just up ahead.

Once the tactician made his way to the front, he soon spotted two familiar faces. "Chrom, Frederick," Both individuals turned to him. "Is everything set?"

"Indeed," Chrom responded with a nod. "Emmeryn will be up here soon, alongside her honored guards."

"Great, I rather not waste any more time, who knows what type of mischiefs we'll face." Robin's words were responded with nods of agreement.

Clanking armor attracted their gazes, a group of knights wielding silver lances - matching silver shields - approached the trio, all of them protecting one individual at the center as they walked forward.

"Emm," Chrom greeted his elder sister.

"Forgive us for delaying the journey, some advisers were being rather.., cautious with the whole situation." The Exalt explained with a small smile, her head being barely visible from the wall of armor guarding her.

Chrom let out a weak chuckle. "We shall move out then, if you're ready, Emm."

"Lead the way, Chrom."

With that, Chrom nodded towards Frederick, said knight walked over to his trusty steed and took out a horn from one of the many side pouches the creature carried.  
Frederick took a deep breath before blowing into the instrument of war, everyone paused as they counted how many times the horn was played, and it wasn't long till marching was heard after Frederick was finished setting the army into motion.

"Alright everyone!" Chrom announced. "Let us move out!"

* * *

 _Location: Plegian and Ylissean Border._

After an hour of marching, the Ylissean army had split into multiple forces, some hiding in the forest next to the mountainous road Chrom's group currently took, and pegasus knights flying high above the clouds for cover. Only the main group, which contained Emmeryn's royal guards, Chrom, Frederick, and Robin, could be seen on the road.

Robin was already observing the forts up ahead, that were located a few feet above their own route. "Those forts will cause us some issues," He pointed out to the prince who nodded.

"The air feels tense, I'm finding it quite hard to breathe calmly," Chrom muttered softly.

Said forts caught their attention long enough for two plegian soldiers to stand before their group. "I'm afraid you lot have to stay put." One of them said loud enough to avert the Ylissean's gazes.

Frederick commanded his steed to move at the front. "We're here in order to meet with King Gangrel."

One of the Plegians ran off to the side while another stood their ground. Both parties waited in silence, but it wasn't long till a howl of laughter was heard, averting everyone's gaze towards a small ledge high above their heads.

"Well if it isn't the Exalt herself, in all of her radiance! I'm afraid I must shield my eyes!" The red-haired man, who wore a fancy attire of gold and black, laughed at his own jest.

"King Gangrel," Emmeryn responded. "I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between us."

"The truth..?" A lady in skin tight black clothing that bewitched her beauty even further, spoke up while standing proudly next to the king. "I can give you the truth."

Robin ignored whatever conversation Emmeryn was having from then on, eyeing the women with white hair and purple markings that tainted her tan exposed skin – areas such as her exposed belly and cleavage – markings that were oddly familiar.

It wasn't until a duo of barbarians presented an all too familiar face, they practically dragged the struggling tied up Maribelle up to the ledge so the entire world could see.

"Unhand me!" The blonde shouted. "You gutter-born troglodyte!"

Even from where the Shepherds stood, they could see that the girl's clothes were covered in mud and dirt, Maribelle herself was scratched up and obviously mistreated severely.

Robin's blood boiled at such a sight. "Those dastards..." In return, an odd sensation filled his chest, it felt as his heart was suddenly lit on fire; Robin could only do his best to ignore the pain for now.

However, something was wrong, everything seemed to darken in Robin's vision for what seemed to be only a few seconds, only to return in a sudden rush. "Give me the fire emblem and I shall overlook this issue!" King Gangrel shouted, proving that the tactician zoned out for most of the conversation and that the parley was breaking with each passing second.

"Why would Plegia desire such treasure?" Emmeryn calmly responded.

"The fire emblem is the key to having all one's wishes realized," Gangrel spoke passionately. "I have desired it for _years!_ But with each passing day, each passing birthday, Ylisse has yet to send me the gift I so desire."

Emmeryn didn't seem to enjoy what she was hearing, for the Exalt stomp her foot lightly. "The Emblem's power is meant for one sole purpose, King Gangrel: to save the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need. Would you claim a more noble wish?"

Gangrel laughter turned sour, and wicked, one worthy of the mad king. "I want what every Plegian wants – a grisly end for every last Ylissean – what more noble cause can possibly exist!?"

"What?" Emmeryn barely gasped out.

"Surely you haven't forgotten what the last Exalt did to my people?" Gangrel voiced out with a grin plastered on his face, leaning forward and facing down the ledge he stood upon. "Your father named us heathens! His _crusade_ across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin!"

Everyone grew tensed, as the mad king spat venom at the Ylisse's old wound. "... I have never denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings," Emmeryn continued. "But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes! Our realm is now that of peace."

"Your _realm_ is nothing more than a haven of hypocrisy! Now hand over the Fire Emblem!" Gangrel demanded this time.

"No!" Maribelle shouted from her dire position. "Your Grace, you mustn't give in to his words! I'll sooner die than act as a bargaining chip for this filthy reprobate!"

"Silence that girl!" Gangrel ordered the guard, who in turn slapped the Troubadour across the face.

Chrom took a step forward. "You black-hearted devil!" The prince shouted in anger, hand already falling on Falchion's hilt.

"Control your dog! Before someone gets hurt," Gangrel shouted. "Now I'll have your response, dear Exalt!"

Emmeryn took a long pause, eyeing Maribelle with uncertain eyes. Robin took this as an opportunity to warn Frederick of the incoming danger, for it was now obvious what was happening.

"Your Grace! Don't do it!" The duke's daughter said once more, having enough courage to sacrifice her life in exchange for not giving up the sacred treasure Ylisse has guarded for many years.

"Maribelle... I'm afraid I can't accept the deal, Gangrel." Emmeryn finally said with a determined glare.

This angered the Plegian King greatly. "Fine! I guess I'll have to pry it from your dead cold hands! Kill the girl, this parley is over!"

Before anyone could say anything, Chrom charged forward, only to be blocked by a trio of Plegian soldiers. "Out of my way!" The angered prince slashed one of the plegian across the chest.

Robin instantly shivered at the sight. "C-Chrom, no!" Was the only thing he could say.

Gangrel's lips turned upwards into a demented smile. "Now that's a declaration of war if I have ever seen one.., A big messy war that will bleed you Ylisseans dry!" The mad king's laughter filled the air as Chrom realized what he had done.

"Frederick!" Robin shouted, said Knight blew into the horn, alerting the entire Ylissean army of the shift in plans. "Retreat and escort Emmeryn back to safety."

Plegian soldiers ran down the rocky paths, their roars filled with blood lust as they quickly covered the ground between them and the Ylissean guards.

However, before the Plegians could reach their target, Javelins dropped from the skies and impaled a few while scaring off the rest. A wave of Pegasus knights flew above the rocky path for a few seconds before flying straight into the skies once more, hiding behind the clouds before any archers locked onto them.

"The Ylissean army is strong..." Robin muttered as their group retreated, but something caught his attention, someone in a brown coat to be exact. "No.., you have got to be kidding me!"

Ricken was making his way slowly up the path and heading towards a struggling Maribelle. "Robin, don't just stand there, we need to gain some distance!" Chrom shouted from behind.

An ear piercing roar was heard from afar, coming from the summit of the mountain to be exact.

"Blast it all.., Frederick, alerted the other group; we need to gain some distance this time and attack the Wyvern Riders with our archers!" Robin's voice was barely audible, drowned out by the intimidating screeches that came from the approaching Wyverns.

Once more the war horn filled the air with its melody as Robin dashed behind a knight, every soldier with a shield raised it above their heads and created a roof. With each passing second, the Wyvern could be heard getting closer and closer, Frederick gave one last signal before galloping his steed away from the incoming barrage.

Suddenly, arrows plummet from the heavens and littered the ground around the Ylisseans. "Sister, you must retreat once our archers cease fire," Chrom said at a very worried Exalt.

"... Right," Emmeryn was uncertain, that much was obvious. "Just promise me to be–" The sound of an explosion interrupted the Exalt - the noise most likely coming from spells hitting their targets.

Everyone flinched upon feeling the ground rumble at the weight of a fallen Wyvern – five more soon followed – the impact was enough to cover the area in a cloud of dust; forcing everyone to shelter their eyes as the chaos halted.

Chrom coughed and waved the dust aside, once it subsided, he noticed that Robin was missing. "Where did... Robin!?" The prince noticed the young tactician running up the mountainous road.

Even if Robin heard his name being called, he didn't stop or look back. _'I need to hurry! D-Damn it, Ricken dies here doesn't he!?'_ Memories flashed through his mind, a blood stained blue hat and a crying Maribelle was all he could think of.

The tactician knew that the Ylissean's had failed to take out every Wyvern-Rider, their arrows flew to the skies too early and missed a vast majority of them, allowing the Plegian's to retreat and play the defensive. This, in turn, prevented any pegasus knights to come into the fray and rescue the duke's daughter, both sides had to retreat now and all momentum had been lost in a matter of seconds.

However, there was one factor that Robin could still count on: the currently panicking ranks that came from the sudden declaration of war.

"Hey!" One of the Plegians – who stood next to a fort – spotted Robin and moved to intercept him.

Robin could only grit his teeth and drew his iron sword, he proceeded to step to the left, only to dash towards the right. Before the Plegian could redirect his axe to block the incoming faint attack, it was far too late, steel met flesh.

Before any other soldiers noticed what was going on – far too busy watching the skies and taking cover – Robin sprinted down the road and had Ricken in his sight.

Said young mage stood protectively in front of the troubadour, the young lad was facing off the odd white haired women. "S-Stay away, or I'll blast you off this cliff!" Ricken shouted.

"Oh my, trying to be the hero?" The women chuckled into her hand. "You do realize you're protecting a girl that started this entire war, don't you?"

Maribelle flinched upon hearing those words, cascading her gaze down at the ground. "No... That isn't true."

"Yes, I can see it now," The women smirked. "The girl that destroyed house Ylisse! Years from now, you shall be remembered–!?" A strong gust of wind forced the plegian to dodge out of the way.

"Don't talk down to us, witch!" Ricken conjured another spell, forcing the dark mage to dodge once more.

"I've had enough of you brats." A dark miasma was summoned on the palm of her hands before she tossed sphere of dark matter at the duo.

Ricken stood his ground, ready to defend Maribelle till the end. "Get out of the way, kid!" Robin managed to intercept the attack and toss the sphere aside, said spell exploded a few feet away.

"Robin!?" Ricken's eyes widen. "What are you doing here?"

"I can say the same to you, but get moving, we don't have much time-" Robin was interrupted by the screeching roars of the Wyverns. "Move!"

Ricken nodded and grabbed Maribelle by the hand, the duo making a run for it.

"My, my," Robin shifted his gaze, staring at the talking mage in front of him. "You... Yes, I know you."

"Oh? I don't recall who _you_ are, mind refreshing me." Robin demanded while spreading both legs, ready to catch any spells and throw them aside.

"Aw, how rude of you, Robin – already forgetting your dear Aversa? I'm shocked." Aversa pretended to look hurt.

Her name, it easily reminded the tactician of dark magic, while being an agent of some sorts. "Look, whoever you are, I advise retreating."

Aversa shook her head and conjured a spell. "I'm afraid I can't do that," Purple symbols appeared around the mage. "Orders are orders after all!"

Robin slapped the dark sphere aside once it was launched and within reach, however, this time it almost slid off his hand and could have potentially killed him. _'That was a stronger spell than before, I need to be cautious.'_

"I'm surprised you're able to just deflect my attacks like that, I see why they want you now," Aversa took a step back, a confident smile on her face. "But I'm afraid your time is out, especially your little friend's."

In an instant, Robin turned to face the road Ricken took, what he saw made his stomach drop – a large Wyvern stood before the duo – Robin could only shout the mage's name as Ricken conjured a spell.  
Two shadows rushed down the road, Robin looked up in time to see two pegasus knights flying towards the Wyvern-Rider, Ricken distracted the Plegian with his spell; long enough for the Knights to intercept the foe.

"Ha! Take that-" Robin stop talking in time to see that Aversa was on a black Pegasus. "A dark flier!?"

"Hmm, something wrong boy? Did you think I would stick around and fight to the death?" She chuckled before starting to gain height, preparing to fly away.

"El–" A sheering pain forced the tactician to clutch his chest, Aversa's laughter grew ever more distant as Robin steadied his breathing. Robin bent over and grabbed his knees, cursing himself inwardly. "Why... Why is this happening to me!?" A faint purple glow creeps through his gloves.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over the dazed tactician. "I won't ask for you name little one, only your life," Robin glanced up, only to be greeted by sharp teeth.

This made Robin jump back and dodge the Wyvern. "General Orton," He said after taking a better look at the rider.

"So you know my name..?" The man who had swept back red hair, raised their eyebrow while pointing his spear at Robin.

 _'Apparently so,'_ Robin didn't linger on how he knew, instead, he took out his weapon.

Orton simply sighed and commanded his Wyvern to charge forward on the ground, the reptile went for a bite; forcing Robin to dodge back and barely avoid a lance at the same time. The Wyvern spun in place, an armored tail going straight for its target's chest, Robin blocked it with his blade but was pushed back by the force.

After regaining his balance, Robin charged in bravely and ducked under a tail swipe. "Take this!" The tactician landed a blow on the Wyvern's leg, but the creature's scales prevented any damage.

Orton quickly guarded his partner by striking with his spear, Robin dodged back but was tossed aside by the Wyvern's head once his feet left the ground. "Only a fool would go up against a Wyvern with an iron sword," Orton taunted with a disinterested tone as he watched his opponent slide across the ground.

"... I won't be able to dodge both of them at the same time, that much is obvious," Robin muttered as he stood up.

The tactician took quick glances at where Ricken and Maribelle were, and to his relief, both of them had already left with the help of the pegasus knights. The ground shook under the weight of a moving Wyvern, alerting the tactician of the incoming attack; just in time to jump to the side and avoid a bite.

Orton followed up with his steed, striking Robin while his guard was low, it managed to nick the tactician's left shoulder. Robin winced in pain as he was yet again, forced to dodge underneath the incoming tail swipe.

"I'm afraid it's over for you..!" Orton whips his reins, and the Wyvern lifted its tail in response.

The anticipation was there, Robin knew it was about to slam down all of its tail's weight; taking advantage of this, Robin dodged the attack and quickly jumped on the limb, running up the scaly back and towards the surprised Plegian general.

Robin shouted a war cry as he charged, but Orton stood up in his seat and blocked the incoming attack with the length of his spear. Both men stared into each other eyes during the deadlock, Orton looked annoyed, but his eyes showed hints of curiosity.

Before the Shepherd's tactician could get the advantage, the Wyvern started to shake, uncomfortable with the unfamiliar weight on top of it. The Plegian general had no issue in maintaining his balance, allowing Orton to knock Robin off the wyvern with a single push.

As the white-haired lad fell on his back, Orton positioned himself and held the spear back over his shoulder, ready to throw it and impale the fallen tactician.  
Robin instinctively held out a palm and attempted to conjure a spell – only to be greeted with a searing pain in his chest once again. However, Orton saw this gesture as a plea for mercy, something that made him hesitate; hesitation that bought Robin enough time.

"Sire!" A shadow flew past Robin – followed by a gust of wind – a pegasus knight had landed in between both men.

Robin observed his savior, the knight had long red hair tied up in a neat ponytail that was held in place by her helmet. Said Knight quickly commanded her steed to gallop a pace forward, allowing her lance to strike at the Plegian general, who in return, blocked the spear with his own.  
Orton's wyvern roared and attempted to bite the Pegasus, but the latter was quick to jump back – with the help of its wings – while turning, countering by kicking the reptile's head with its hooves.

Both riders clashed with their spears, but the pegasus knight commanded her steed to hover above the ground, giving its rider the high ground while going for another strike. Orton blocked the attack and made his own steed move out of harm's way.

"Enough with this!" Orton shouted, noticing that both armies had fully retreated, and this was going nowhere. "I'll have your head another time."

Robin knew that the general was referring to him, and could only watch Orton retreat with narrowed eyes. "Sir Robin," The knight called out to him.

"Just Robin is fine," He responded while standing up, wincing a bit due to his wounded shoulder. "Thank you, err..?"

"Ah, sorry, my name is Cordelia, and I was sent here by Prince Chrom after he saw what your intentions were," Cordelia commanded her steed to approach the wounded tactician, and held out a hand for him to grab.

Robin nodded in appreciation - taking the hand - and mounted the Pegasus. "Let us get out of here then, before Plegia sends out more soldiers."

"Of course, hang on tight." Not a second passed before the Pegasus launched itself into the air.

Robin did as he was told, least he wanted to fall off. _'So this was the girl Sumia was talking about, the one that believed she didn't deserve to be in the Shepherds. Although, this Pegasus is highly trained, especially when it comes to those coordinated maneuvers; surely there must be a reason as to why Cordelia didn't join, maybe she's shy?.'_

"So you're the mysterious Tactician everyone has been talking about?" Cordelia shouted above the rushing wind.

"Mysterious? I hope people aren't spreading ill rumors of me already,"

Cordelia shook her head. "Nothing but curiosity, some say you show great potential; considering what we experienced today, I'm inclined to believe they're right."

"Please, I only did the basics of what a tactician would do in this situation," Robin responded with a small prideful smile, not that Cordelia would notice of course.

"Basic?" Cordelia continued. "My apologies sire, but I don't think making up this many ranks for different scenarios and counters is something basic, Ylisse didn't lose a single man or woman out there because of you."

The pegasus knight was correct, but Robin still didn't feel like he won, even if Gangrel provoked the situation; Chrom did indeed strike down a Plegian, thus, Ylisse is at fault and is the kingdom that started the war.  
Due to this, King Gangrel has the excuse to blame the halidom and many of his soldiers saw their comrades fall in today's battle, which will further encourage the Plegian population to fight back with a burning vengeance, all while Ylissean's still want peace and will need further encouragement.

Ylisse had won this battle, but the war was far from being done.

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, short chapter this week, sadly the unexpected turn of events on my end caused this, but fear not! I'll post next Monday, as an apology for the extra week of waiting time; plus it'll be easy for me to write this week anyways!**

 **When it came to making this chapter, I didn't like how everyone decided to throw everything they had at each other, I just don't think Plegia would throw a General (Orton) so suddenly and purposely lose all their men; so I gave them a better tactician haha.**

 **Chrom's anger issues were also the main issue, something that Gangrel took advantage of, and thus, got the war he wanted - but the main goal would be getting Emmeryn out of there safely while avoiding the Wyverns, not killing everything in sight.**

 **At least, that's my mindset when it came to seeing this part of the story.**

 **Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this small chapter, I'll see ya next time!**


	8. Chapter 8: Fate And The Unknown

**Disclaimer: In no way do I claim to own the Fire Emblem Series, all rights go to their rightful owners!**

 **AN: As promised, here's the new chapter! (In time as well, nice going me...)**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Fate And The Unknown**

 _Location: Dukedom Themis._

The Ylissean army retreated to the safety of Themis, both in order to regroup and to rethink the situation that was currently at hand. Emmeryn's group was the first to arrive, follow by the archers and mages that were guarded by their respective knights hidden in the vast woods of the Ylissean's border.

Chrom was pacing around the plaza, occasionally glancing at the skies, waiting for the Pegasus Knights to return from the rescue mission that was issued last second. "Prince Chrom," A male voice called out to the distracted prince.

"Hmm?" Chrom glanced to his side and saw a man – in his late forties – approach him. "Ah, Duke Themis, what can I do for you."

"Nothing, Milord, but I'm afraid I owe you a great amount of gratitude; that is to say, you did send the Pegasus Knights to save my daughter." The blonde Duke remarked.

Chrom could only shake his head. "I'm afraid you have the wrong person," Upon being greeted with a confused expression, Chrom continued. "I did send out a squadron after your daughter, however, a specific person encouraged me to do so without saying a word; pure actions from him had driven me to act."

As if on cue, a flock of Pegasus Knights landed nearby. "Might I ask who this person is..?" Themis said while glancing at the rescue team; smiling with a sigh of relief upon spotting his daughter.

The Prince smiled. "Robin, a tactician who has much to show," Chrom pointed at the white-haired tactician, who was being helped by Cordelia with the dismount, and it seemed like he was being healed by one of the clerics soon after that. "Wait, is that who I think it is!?"

Chrom's eyes widen upon seeing a certain young mage run over to Robin, the prince then made his way to the currently talking duo.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Robin!" Ricken chip with a bright smile.

Robin chuckled softly after the Cleric was done and left to carry out their duty somewhere else. "Thanks to Cordelia over here, I managed to get out of there."

Said Pegasus Knight shifted her feet slightly in a modest way. "Nonsense, I was only following orders," One of the Pegasus Knights called out to the red-head before Robin could utter a word to counter her statement. "I should get going, see you around, Robin."

"Whoa, so you met Cordelia? Your luck must be astonishing." Ricken added as the duo watched the Knight leave.

Robin didn't respond, due to noticing at the corner of his eye someone marching over to them. "Might want to run, Rick-"

"Ricken!" Chrom shouted.

"Err, too late," Robin muttered, while Ricken froze on the spot.

"What are you doing here, young man?" The Prince's tone was slightly raised, but not reaching that of a shout.

Ricken panicked and hid behind the tactician, the latter speaking up. "Hey, Chrom-"

Chrom ignored the tactician. "Move out of the way, Robin."

"Whoa, no point in scolding the little guy," Robin spread out both arms protectively. "It isn't his fault."

The bluenette raised an eyebrow after hearing this. "Care to elaborate?"

"It was my idea, and _mine_ alone, to take Ricken on the mission,"

"And you thought it was a good idea to not inform me about this?" Chrom was obviously disappointed and looked betrayed.

Robin simply nodded. "Once I saw Ricken's potential use of wind magic, I thought it would be a good idea to add him to the ranks that would handle Wyvern-Riders."

"Hmm, so you were in the backlines..?" Chrom asked for confirmation, specifically from the peeking Ricken.

"I... Well, you see-"

Robin interrupted the young mage. "No, he disregarded his safety and sneaked behind the Plegian's front lines in order to rescue Maribelle."

Chrom's face was livid after hearing this. "He what!?"

Ricken yelp in fear and hid behind Robin once more. "Honestly, if it wasn't for Ricken," Robin suddenly spoke up. "I would have left Maribelle behind, due to how dire our situation was and how important the Fire Emblem is; by the sounds of it."

A pair of footsteps approached the trio. "Is that so?" Themis spoke up, now standing next to their prince.

"Indeed," Robin smiled, moving to the side and uncovering the cowering mage. "Ricken's brave decision was the encouraging factor that moved me into action."

Maribelle could only sigh. "Next time, please reconsider your own well being, especially if it's a rash decision," She smiled while glancing at Ricken. "But you have my gratitude, Ricken."

"And mine as well," Themis added in.

Ricken took a step forward with a now slightly embarrassed face. "No need to thank me, anyone would have done what I did if given the chance."

Robin took this as an opportunity to pull Chrom and himself out of the conversation. "I know you're only mad due to being concerned, but at least nothing bad happened and we saved both of them."

The Prince sighed in response but ended up nodding. "Yes, you're right... But next time, please let me know of these sudden changes, or at the very least, attempt to convince me."

"Trust me, it won't happen again, I promise."

"I'll hold your word for it then,"

Before the duo could continue speaking, a familiar – female – voice called out to them. "Captain, Robin!"

Robin and Chrom turned to face the Pegasus Knight, the latter greeting her. "Sumia, glad to see you're okay."

"Mhm! I can say the same about both of you, I attempted to go on the rescue mission, but sadly I was assigned to prevent any further Wyverns from attacking." Sumia said with an apologetic face while looking at Robin.

"Worry not, Cordelia helped me," Robin continued. "If it wasn't for her skillful maneuvers, I'm afraid I wouldn't be standing here right now."

"Cordelia?" Sumia raised an eyebrow. "So she was apart of the task, I see why commander Phila turned me down, ha ha..."

Robin cursed himself inwardly for hurting Sumia's pride. "Don't pull yourself down, Sumia..." He reassured.

"I agree with Robin," Chrom added. "You did your job, and that was preventing the enemy forces from disrupting the rescue mission, your efforts were needed as much as any others."

This managed to somewhat cheer up the Pegasus Knight. "Well, if you say so.., but um, this means we are truly at war against Plegia, right?"

Both Chrom's and Robin's eyes grew distant, there hasn't been enough time to process what just happened back at the border, and Sumia's simple question was enough to let everything come crashing down on both of them.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Robin muttered, taking small quick glances at Chrom, who stood in silence. "Guess I'll have more work on my desktop from now on."

The jest went unnoticed by the Ylisseans, Sumia was far too busy being concern over Chrom, while the latter was lost in thoughts – prompting Robin to just sigh and stand there awkwardly.

"We'll have to meet with the council once more before we head back to Ylisstol – sorry Sumia, but can you help the Shepherds with packing up – follow me, Robin." Chrom said with a rather monotone tone, it was impossible to tell what was going through the prince's mind.

Robin stood his ground for a second, watching the prince take the lead. "Troublesome indeed..." He muttered. "See you around, Sumia."

"Y-Yeah, good luck you two!" She waved goodbye as they walked towards a large building at the center of said Plaza they stood at.

* * *

 _Location: Ylisstol, Shepherd's Garrison, Dusk Of That Same Day._

Robin opened the door to his small office, a small lingering headache bothered the man as he approached his desk. The tactician had just left _another_ war meeting, where it was decided that the Shepherds would depart the next day and alert Regna Ferox of the upcoming war while gaining more soldiers.  
Normally, Ylisse would send a royal letter via the Pegasus Knights, but all of their fliers were currently out at the borders, serving as the main force for spreading orders.

However, that wasn't the reason as to why Robin was suffering from a small migraine, it was due to the constant stress of formulating a diverse plan for any incoming battles; which in turn started to draw unpleasant memories.  
Every single time something specific was said or seen, Robin would remember something related to the topic or view. Lately, it has been picking up in details, such as the vision he had with Ricken's death, and it was starting to scare the tactician.

"Ricken was supposed to die..," Memories of the young mage's blood stained clothes; flashed before his eyes, causing the tactician to shut them as he sat down on a chair. "What are you saying Robin, be glad that you saved a life this time."

Robin sat in the darkness of his own workplace, muttering to himself as he clutched his aching head. "Who's to say all of this is even real," He was referring to what the mysterious voice said at the very start of his journey. "Maybe my own consciousness fooled me, and I have never experienced a previous life."

The tactician chuckled to himself, finding it much more pleasant to obey what he was currently saying. "But then again.., all those times I would remember something... No, most of them would easily be explained, with the sound logic of experiencing them before I lost my memories."

Robin did his best to try and convince himself that a previous life wasn't possible, but the dreadful memories kept haunting him – and there was one more thing, Lucina's existence and interactions with him; destroyed his newly founded theory.

"N-No one would believe me if I told them.., not right now at least," The bonds he currently had with the Shepherds wasn't nearly strong enough. "They would most likely kick me off the position as tactician if I told them."

Then there was the matter of the mysterious voice that spoke to him before his journey even started.

"Why did I get a second chance.., what is my purpose now?"

Robin let out a tired sigh and decided it was best to not linger on the matter any further, opting to stand up and leave the room in order to take a small walk around the palace's grounds.

Due to being fairly late now, the halls were quiet, only occasionally would Robin see a Knight, who would ask for his station and name. Many of the palace knights didn't know the newly attained Tactician, so he didn't mind at all being stop every minute or so for details.

"Hmm..." Robin somehow managed to walk into the courtyard – as if it was a normal thing for him – but someone caught his attention. "Chrom?"

Said prince – who had his back turned to Robin while standing alone near a tree – perked up at the sound of his name, turning towards the tactician. "Ah, Robin," He faked a smile. "What are you doing out here?"

"Dueling with some unpleasant thoughts," The white-haired explained.

"It seems we're in the same boat then," Chrom sighed as he looked down at the palms of his hands. "Robin, I have something to confess."

Said tactician nodded as he walked towards the prince, hands in his pockets. "I'm all ears."

"Not everything Gangrel said was a lie," Robin had an idea on what Chrom was talking about. "The last Exalt, my father, waged war on Plegia for many years. The violence, Robin.., it was brutal; only ending with his death fifteen years ago."

Robin glanced down, both of them not daring to stare at each other's eyes. "Any ruler would make mistakes..." Robin attempted to reason with the prince, but Chrom shook his head as he put his hand on Falchion's hilt.

"No, what my father did was nothing near that of a mistake; Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but his war was no kinder to his own people." Chrom took a deep breath before continuing. "As the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished – farmers had to soon join the brutal battlefield – people who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their own death, and it wasn't long till Ylisse started starving and showed signs of collapsing."

"Chrom..." Robin called out under his breath.

"I was still so young, but I remember those dark times.., and I know how they affected Emmeryn."

"Such a thing would change anyone, Chrom."

"Not just that, Robin," Chrom added. "When our father died before her tenth year, he left quite the legacy; Plegia's desire for vengeance – our own people's unbridled rage... All of it was aimed at Emmeryn, my sister, became the target for blame from all sides."

At the back of Robin's head, he knew this story, but it was still enough to cause his heart to drop, the tactician could only wait for the Prince to continue.

"Her own subjects..," Chrom's voice rising with each passing word. "Began to hurl insults – even stones – she still bears the scar from one."

The air grew tenser as Chrom's facial expressions showed that of pain and anger. "Emmeryn never once let them see it," He continued. "She didn't let them see her pain.., only Lissa and I understood her suffering."

Something about the prince's words touched Robin deeply; as if the position Emmeryn used to be in, resonated with Robin's past. "Such a terrible feeling it must had been..."

"I cannot claim how she does it, Robin," Chrom sighed, staring off to the palace. "I could never greet such hostility with warmth and patience... While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them; bringing back soldiers home to their families, even ending the war that our father started. And when Ylisse's spirit was mend and the people forgave her? … She never resented them for it."

This brought a bittersweet smile on Robin's face. "An amazing ruler she is.., when it comes to making peace."

"Indeed," Chrom neutral face turned into a frown. "She's the symbol of peace, but some men will gladly take advantage of that – men like Gangrel. The day that dastard understands peace, is the day death gives it to him... So perhaps I must be death's agent."

 _'Those are some dangerous thoughts Chrom,'_ Robin hinted what he just thought with sadden eyes, something that Chrom caught onto.

"Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to," Chrom swiftly explained. "But gods! I swear if it benefits the entire world, I will seek a way to achieve peace in a way that _will_ work."

Robin moved to open his mouth, but movement in the shadows caught his attention. "Well spoken sir," Someone in a blue attire and familiar mask left the concealment of the shadows and approached the duo.

Chrom's eyes widen. "Marth..? How did you enter the palace without being caught."

"Good evening to you, and to answer that question..," Marth proceeded to point towards – to what Robin thought – a random direction. "That cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove."

Robin didn't get it, but Chrom scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed face. "There? But how would you..? Ugh, I thought no one would notice,"

"Ugh, you know the place, Chrom?" Robin was still confused on the matter.

"Sadly, yes," Chrom let out a sigh. "In fact, it was my own doing that it's there; during training, I bashed a hole in the wall."

Robin took a step back – away from the prince – clearly in awe. _'What are you!? Some sort of gorilla!?'_ Was what the tactician wanted to say, but restrained himself from doing so.

Marth's lips slightly turned up in a smile, as she watched the duo interact, but it wasn't long till Chrom continued. "I thought it was well concealed due to the lack of size, but I guess I was wrong..."

"Your secret is safe with me," Marth reassured. "Let us move onto the matter as to why I am here, a warning to be precise."

"Warning?" Both Prince and tactician said in unison, the latter observing Marth's body language closely.

Marth nodded. "The Exalt's life is in danger," While Chrom let out a small gasp, Robin noticed that Marth kept slightly changing the direction of their head, looking past Chrom.

"That's absurd," Chrom's voice drew Robin back into the conversation. "Emmeryn is guarded at all hours."

"What if-" Marth cut themselves off, obviously looking at Robin for a second. "What if I told you I have seen the future? Would you believe me? A future where Emmeryn is killed, this very night."

Almost in instant, the duo had mix reactions, Chrom's eyes narrowed with suspicion; Robin's eyes widen in realization. "Seen the future?" Chrom cut in. "Have you lost your wits?"

"I fully expected you to not believe me," Marth said that to Chrom. "So allow me to prove it."

Robin and Chrom watched as the disguised masked swordswoman walked around them, standing between the duo and the bushes that lurked in the royal garden.  
Marth took out Falchion from its sheath, Chrom responded by putting a hand on the hilt of his own blade – Robin also prepared his sword, but it wasn't due to suspecting Marth of betrayal.

"I'm about to save your life," Marth announced – bushes rustled from behind. "From him!"

A cloak assassin dashed out of the garden, his cover was blown and the man had no intention of hiding any further. Marth countered by jumping – throwing Falchion – into the air and back flipping behind the man while grabbing the blade mid-air, coming down with enough force to slash the intruder across their back.

The assassin struggled on the ground for a few seconds before going limp, Marth spoke up with an unsteady voice. "I trust this proof will suffice?" They took a pose, extending Falchion towards the right.

Chrom stood there – not exactly sure what to say – and nodded slowly. "... Yeah."

However, the bushes moved once more – Robin dashed forward with his blade in hand – another Assassin had rushed in, going straight for Marth's exposed back. Said masked swordswoman stumbled back in shock, not expecting a second Assassin to appear, this distracted her enough to trip over a discarded blade on the ground.

Robin swiftly caught her with an arm – holding Marth by the waist – and blocked the incoming blade. "Chrom, _move_!"

With a war cry, Chrom dashed in and impaled Falchion in the man's chest, only to kick the injured assassin while pulling the blade with a twist.

Robin's intense expression vanished, and it wasn't long til he realized he was still holding onto Marth. "Sorry," He let go of her after she regained her balance. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you, sir," The bluenette looked to the side, slightly embarrassed. "As I was saying earlier-"

An explosion was heard, alerting the trio and moving them into action, it wasn't long till they ran down the hallways.

"Chrom!" Robin shouted from behind, being the slowest runner of the group. "Run to Emmeryn, the explosion is a distraction!"

Chrom took a sharp left turn without hesitation, the other two followed behind. Marth started taking the lead instead after awhile, it was obvious that she knew the castle as much as Chrom did – something that only Robin noticed due to being able to maintain a collective state of mind.

On the way there, a specific Knight was running down the hall – opposite way of Chrom's group – it was Frederick. "Rally the Shepherds and send them to Emmeryn's room!" The prince shouted as they ran past the – probably confused – knight.

The halls ended and expanded into a larger section, with many pillars – at the center – maintaining the weight of the roof. Chrom's group was currently on the west-wing of the building, so naturally, Chrom took another left turn and went straight until they reached a pair of stairs, taking a right turn soon after they reached a cross-section.

"Emm's room!" Chrom shouted, seeing that an assassin was already at one of the doors – lock picking it.

Both Marth and Chrom charged forward, slashing the man down as the doors opened, revealing a worried Exalt. "Chrom, what is going on?"

"Hide, Emm, there are intruders running about looking to kill you."

Emmeryn's eyes, for once, widen in shock. "What..?"

Before Chrom could grab Emmeryn and lead her to somewhere safe, Frederick arrived with Lissa. "Milord, more enemy forces are marching up the hallways as we speak!"

Lissa was not even her – slightly – armored dress, running around in a nightgown with stave in hand. "W-What is going on!?"

Robin glanced at the situation at hand. "Blasted it all, every knight in the entire palace most likely ran towards the explosion, not only that, all of our official Pegasus Knights are gone and almost all our soldiers are stationed around the Plegian borders." The tactician voiced out for everyone to hear.

"Frederick," Chrom called out to the knight. "Did you get the Shepherds?"

"I only found a couple, and asked them to find the others, my duty as a knight provoked me to find Milady and run back here."

Before the feeling of dread settled in, Robin spoke up. "We need to wait for reinforcements then, don't panic, we'll use the layout of the castle to our advantage – the structure gives us an advantage over them." The tactician remembered how the palace was perfectly built for counter-attacking invasions.

Chrom nodded. "Emmeryn, hide inside the room, we'll protect you; Marth defend the side doors while we protect the main entrance-"

"C-Captain!" Sumia stumbled into the scene, gasping for air and leaning on the doorway, the knight was missing her chest piece and arm guards but had her lance.

"Ah, Sumia, thank the gods – we need all the help we can get," Chrom allowed himself to smile in the dim situation they were in.

Robin nodded. "Sumia, defend the center, alongside Kellam, who I presume is here." Sumia nodded and sprinted over to her position – Kellam's clanking armor was nowhere to be heard, but Robin assumed he didn't have his armor on; making it even harder to spot the man.

"Incoming!" Frederick shouted, the man taking a defensive stance – due to lacking his horse – and waiting for the enemy to charge at him. "Farewell!"

Frederick baited the Assassin to jump, allowing the Knight to take a pace forward; impaling the man mid-air before moving the spear forward into the floor and sliding the corpse off the spearhead.

"Heeey, not bad, Freddy ol' boy," Vaike said while appearing from the north corridor.

Frederick gave Vaike a menacing look upon hearing the nickname. "Call me that one more time and I'll double the amount of training on your end."

Vaike's face grew pale, zipping his lips with a finger and making the motion of tossing an invisible key.

"Hey, Vaike, did you see any enemies on the north side of the palace?" Robin asked the blonde.

The axe-wielder shook his head. "Nope, although, there is a fire brewing over there, Lon'qu and I were training when it all happen,"

"Where's Lon'qu then,"

"Sumia told him to get help when we bumped into her, that girl can run faster than a horse when serious." Vaike's explanation gave light as to why Sumia was out of breath.

"That means the enemy is coming from the south, the complete opposite side of the diversion..." Robin muttered while formulating a plan.

"Vaike," Chrom called out to the competitive blonde. "Go down the center, and then defend the west-wing, we'll meet you there."

"Gotcha," Vaike ran over to his position. "Come on Benny, let's teach them a lesson for disrupting Teach's winning streak!"

Robin raised an eyebrow, both because Vaike wouldn't be able to win against Lon'qu and because of the nickname. "Benny..? Err, whatever, we should get into position-" Robin was cut off upon noticing a dim light coming from his right hand – one he knew all too well – and hid it in his pocket.

A blue light shined at the corner of the tactician's eye, everyone else there caught wind of this and stared at Marth, who held their blade in front of them. "Falchion is gleaming..." Marth muttered and glanced around slowly, eyes scanning the room through her mask.

Robin knew what she was looking for, or at the very least, had an idea as to why the sacred blade was reacting in such a way. "I'll cover the west-wing!" Robin quickly said, running past Frederick.

Chrom raised a hand, hoping to catch the tactician. "Wait, Robin..!" Seeing that the white-haired was gone, he faced Marth. "Care to explain whats wrong?"

Marth – who was staring at the fleeing tactician – averted her gaze back to Chrom. "Nothing, Sir."

This annoyed the prince, but he let it fly for now. "Of course it's nothing..," He muttered. "Everyone! Guard Emmeryn with everything you got, block every hallway that is exposed to the south corridors!"

The current Shepherds moved into position, Frederick hurried down the same hall – alongside Chrom – that Robin took not too long ago. To their surprise, Robin was sitting on the back of an orange haired man, who was struggling to get the tactician off.

"H-Hey I told you, I'm not part of this whole assassination!" The man explained. "The Exalt is a sweet lady, who would want to kill her?!"

Robin scoffed at this, holding the grip on both the man's arms even tighter – locking them in place while hurting the potential enemy. "The group you're currently helping, that's who!" Robin shouted while the pinned man shouted in agony.

Chrom approached them, clearing his throat in order to get their attention. "Mind explaining what is going on, Robin?"

Before the tactician could utter a word, the assassin cut him off. "Hey, Blue, help me out here; before Bubbles kills me."

"Blue..?"

"Bubbles?"

The thief sighed. "Just get off me, I'm not here to kill anyone, I'm just a thief who thought it would be a good idea to join these guys in order to get some cash off of looting the place!"

This didn't exactly help his situation, Frederick in fact, spoke up upon hearing the word thief. "A rat such as yourself deserves to lose their head for taking advantage of such a predicament!"

"Geez, calm down, the name is Gaius by the way. Here, I'll tell you all the juicy details of the enemy's plans, if you sweeten the deal."

"You would dare-" Chrom was quickly cut off by Robin.

"Wait, we could actually use such info to our advantage – especially since we're outnumbered – I say we take advantage of this deal."

Obviously, Chrom didn't like the idea, but ended up agreeing for now; time was short after all. "Fine, I'll pay you, one moment-" Chrom reached into his pocket but ended up dropping a small bag upon taking his hand out.

The small bag fell in front of Gaius' face and opened from the fall, revealing many sweets inside. "... Deal, I'm sold!" Gaius said with almost sparkling eyes of pure joy.

Everyone froze in shock as to what the thief said, the Shepherds just stood there watching Gaius slip one of his arms out of Robin's grasp and get one of the sweets.

"Wait.., you would risk your life, for a bag of candy?" Chrom finally spoke up – Robin got off Gaius – with a raised eyebrow.

Gaius chuckled, grabbing the bag and stashing it after standing up. "Didn't I say to sweeten the deal? Anyways, suckers are going to send forces on both sides – west and east – while the main force will wait around the corner at the main hall."

"An ambush..," Robin processed in his head. "They still think you're part of them, why don't you just back stab one of their lookouts for us."

"Sure thing, Bubbles," Gaius turned, making way to leave.

"Just make sure to report back once you're done, and we'll charge in soon after; while panic arises throughout their ranks." The thief held an _'okay'_ hand gesture over his shoulder and left, disappearing into the shadows.

Chrom approached the white-haired tactician. "As much as I want to believe him, I can't help but have my own doubts,"

"Milord is right," Frederick added.

"Worry not," Robin continued with a smile, spotting a few Shepherds arriving at the scene. "Something tells me we can trust Gaius."

* * *

 _Location: Ylisstol's palace, back entrance._

"Milord, the Ylissean's are guarding the Exalt," An assassin said to a tall and slender man with black hair.

"Curses, these pawns aren't supposed to be on the board..." The leader of the assassination attempt snapped his fingers, creating a dark portal that swirled in front of them.

The portal shifted, until it revealed the image of a familiar white-haired tactician, his hand glowing suddenly and alerting the tactician of an unwanted presence.

"Oho.., after years of searching, we have found him – and our lord was accurate on his new appearance," The leader's eyes narrowed as a wicked smile appeared on his face. "Wait, what is this?!"

A blue glow was visible from one of the corners of the dark portal, the dark mage shifted his hands and moved the angle of its field of vision. His eyes widen upon spotting masked swordsmen with a glowing blade in hand.

"Lord Validar, what should we do?"

"Focus on killing the Exalt, bring the Fire Emblem if possible; don't let anything else distract you."

The assassin bowed their head. "As you wish." Disappearing without a word soon after that.

However, Validar remained where he stood, staring at the portal and took in the sight before him. "Looks like _it_ really is telling the truth, it predicted all of this," A chuckle escaped his mouth. "Yes, the world has its days counted!"

* * *

 _Location: Shepherd's Line Of Defense_

"Lon'qu!" Robin shouted, commanding the Feroxi to charge forward and impale a mercenary in the chest.

The Shepherds had a strong lead now, Gaius had provided some much-needed assistance as the enemy team didn't realize they had a traitor lurking about in their ranks.

"Hey, hey! Save some for Teach and Benny!" Vaike shouted from across the hall – he and his group had managed to push back enough to enter the main hall.

Robin smiled in relief. "Vaike, come take my spot!" The tactician glanced at the battlefield – in time to parry an assassin – and took out any foes while the axe-wielder ran over.

Every Shepherd was now fighting at full force, guarding any entrances possible that would lead to Emmeryn's room, and it wouldn't be long till the palace knights came rushing down the northern halls.

Robin turned, seeing that Vaike was now almost in arms reach. "Heads up!" Vaike shouted and swung his axe – missing a ducking Robin – and landed a blow on a lancer's chest, that got too close for comfort behind the unsuspecting tactician.

"You almost decapitated me!" Robin shouted almost furiously.

Vaike simply laughed it off. "Aw, I knew you would dodge, ol' Teach has faith in ya."

"Fools, Instead of fighting each other, how about you help out!" Lon'qu shouted between strikes, taking down a mage by swiftly dodging spells left and right.

"Who you calling a fool!?" Vaike charged in, giving the Feroxi much needed help – even if he was just trying to prove a point – while Robin took down a nearby enemy, but ended up running back up the hall towards the Exalt's room.

"Chrom," Once the prince's attention was gained, Robin pointed down the hall. "Go help them, I'm taking a break. Where's Maribelle?"

The Troubadour – lacking a mount – ran up to the white-haired man and started mending any wounds. "Be sure to take extra caution next time," She reminded the man once finished.

"Thank you, Maribelle."

Maribelle simply shook her head. "There is nothing to thank me for, Robin. I'm simply returning the favor, for you indeed were part of my rescue.., and for what it is worth, I take back what I said prior to all of this."

Robin couldn't help but smile. "It is worth a great deal-"

A pair of doors burst open, revealing something rather unpleasant to any humans in the room.

Virion was the first to react, letting out a terrified – and rather girly – screech of fear as a large bunny-like creature left the shadows, red eyes piercing anything it stared at. "B-By the gods! What kind of monster is that!?" The archer shouted from across the room, only to be silenced by a death stare from the creature.

Robin didn't exactly back down, but he was still on edge, given the fact that he protected Maribelle with an extended arm. "I'm afraid I don't remember seeing a creature like yourself..." The tactician muttered.

Said creature stood up on its hind legs before a large sphere of light covered it – blinding everyone for a short time – and revealing a barefooted woman with unique characteristics.  
A few of her unique features was the bushy tail, and two large bunny ears that hung loosely on both sides of her face – her long dark brown hair spiraling down around them – and fur covering various parts of her body, such as the waist, neck, and wrists.

This half animal, half human, dusted herself off before speaking. "I knew there was wisdom with sneaking in with those rogues," Her eyes taking in the view of the corpses. "Look how these man-spawn claw at each other like savages!"

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

Upon hearing the commotion, Marth left their position and looked around the corner. "Hold! Panne is not your enemy,"

"You know her?" Robin asked, not taking his eyes off the newcomer.

"I know of her," Marth reassured. "And I knew she would come here tonight."

"Good enough for me. Maribelle, go and see if Lissa needs any help with healing the others," Robin ordered the noble, who nodded and left.

Frederick decided to walk up to Robin and speak his mind. "Are you sure it is wise to trust this.., Panne."

"There is no time for doubts, and we need as much help as possible – I'm sure Chrom would agree – besides, Marth has helped us greatly in alerting us from potential danger," Robin remembered the two assassins, individuals who would have most likely wounded both Chrom and himself. "He has our trust."

Frederick nodded, and excused themselves, leaving to retake the position that was assigned to them.

"Man-spawn," Panne approached Shepherd's tactician. "It seems like you're the leader of this pack,"

"Something like that, why do you ask?"

"I'm only here to repay a debt, and I'll proceed to wash my hands of this disgusting race once finished; until then, I shall help getting rid of these man-spawn."

Robin's face didn't show emotions, but he was slightly taken back by her choice of words internally. "Of course, go help that masked swordsmen," Robin pointed at Marth. "The little corridor over there usually gets filled up by the enemy." Panne narrowed her eyes, before walking to said location without a word.

So far the battle was going well, but something just wasn't right; Robin was noticing how the enemy squadron would just keep charging at them with no concern, completely ignoring their own safety or lives.

"People like you..," Robin muttered while heading out to the hallway. "Sending your own troops to their death while standing in the backlines like the coward you are, such generals don't deserve to set foot on the battlefield, let alone command others."

The tactician's eyes wandered, analyzing every disadvantage or advantage of each Shepherd's current location.

Chrom had just finished taking out an assassin, and glanced back at the hallway that would lead to Emmeryn, but was quickly attacked by a mage – Chrom barely dodged to the side due to the sound of casting – Lon'qu disposed of the enemy before they conjured another spell and potentially wounded the prince.

Such a display didn't go unnoticed from the tactician's watchful eyes.

"The Vaike won't get left behind!" Vaike charged in and took out another foe.

Suddenly, a bright pink light caught the West's and East's squadron's attention, everyone glancing towards the center of the main hall. Once the light subsided, Panne's large bunny form appeared and charged towards the incoming enemies, taking out anything in her path with swift slashes and kicks.

Many of the enemy forces retreated in fear, allowing the Ylisseans to push forward once more. "Chrom, go check on Emmeryn, and get Marth over here!"

Chrom didn't hesitate, most likely deeply worried for his sister already. _'I need to keep their morale high, almost everyone is currently tensed and would most likely hesitate if we push too far up and away from Emmeryn, especially Chrom, who grows restless as time goes on.'_

Marth came rushing down the hall. "Did you call, sir?"

"You'll be switching spots with Chrom for now, seems like he's too concern over Emmeryn's well-being to stay out here for too long, stay close to me, we'll push the front lines a bit more."

"Very well," Marth positioned themselves alongside the Plegian, the duo walking towards a pair of knights who guarded the exits of the Ylissean Palace.

"Cover me!" Robin shouted while dashing forward with a blade in hand, prompting the knight to lunge forward with their spear.

Marth parried the spear away with their incredible speed, allowing Robin to cut the Knight's knee due to an exposed joint. "Allow me!" Marth cut into the enemy's striking arm with little effort.

Robin blocked the second enemy knight, once more, the duo switched and allowed one another to strike down the foe. _'Lucina's fighting style, it has adapted and changed drastically – more precise and faster – from the last time I fought alongside her, but I somehow feel even more comfortable with it now.'_

Unfortunately, before the Shepherds could push forward, the sound of galloping horses filled the air. "You have got to be kidding me," Robin said under his breath as Cavaliers came into view. "Everyone, fall back!"

Cavaliers filled the halls, barely giving the Shepherd's any space to retaliate, it was enough to sever their communications and isolate many of them from the main group.

Robin managed to fend off a charging horse long enough to notice that Marth was nowhere in sight. "Those dastards, they separated some of us,"

"Robin!" Vaike ran up to the tactician. "What are we going to do now, buddy?"

"Keep falling back, come, help me defend as we retreat," Both men dodged and parried any lances that came by way too fast for any counter attacks.

"Move man-spawn." A distorted voice was heard before a black with red blur ran past them.

Frederick rode after the blur that was, without a doubt, Panne. "Sumia, steal one of the mounts as well!" The Stalwart Knight commanded.

"Yes, sir!" Sumia's voice responded from behind, curiosity caused Robin to take a quick glance back, the Pegasus Knight jumped high enough to smack a cavalier off their horse with her lance. Sumia proceeded to mount the creature, riding into battle with the stolen steed.

 _'Ylisse is strong.., their experience with mounts and armored units exceeds that of the enemy's,'_ Robin's eyes widen, surprised to see two individuals coming into view. "Your Grace, Chrom?!"

Emmeryn had a determined look on her face. "It seems you're having trouble," The Exalt said while raising a palm, jade colored magical symbols appearing before her.

Chrom charged in, blocking a Cavalier from getting any closer, allowing Emmeryn to nail the foe with an Arcwind.

"Your Grace, surely it's too dangerous out here," Robin said while walking towards the duo when it was safe, their side of the field was covered thanks to Frederick, Sumia, and Panne.

"I apologize, Robin, but I won't stand aside and watch everyone fight for me; risking their precious lives just to keep mine going." Emmeryn eyes, they were different from the ones Robin witness back at Plegia's border, her eyes were no longer filled with hesitation.

The Shepherd's tactician could only sigh and nod. "Very well.., Lon'qu," Said Feroxi – who was guarding the entrance of a hallway a few feet ahead – perked up upon hearing his name. "Help Chrom guard the Exalt, I'll take your place-"

An explosion was heard, coming from the east-wing. "What was that!?" Chrom voiced out.

Robin tensed up, knowing that the east-side held most of their fighters, but lacked any commanding officer for awhile now. "I'll go check on them, keep guarding this entrance!"

As the lone tactician made his way to the other side, he noticed a growing fire extending across the palace's east-wing. "Robin!" Marth's voice caught his attention, she was cornered by a mage and a knight.

Robin halted his sprint and changed directions. "Get away!" His warcry caught the enemy mage's attention, who turned and summoned an Elfire.

Due to the amount of speed Robin was running at, he couldn't afford to dodge the spell and instead opted to tackle and run through the attack with the protection of his coat. This allowed Robin to catch the spell caster by surprise and impale his blade through their chest.

Marth retaliated against the remaining Knight, making short work of the slow enemy by landing two direct strikes on both their knees, the foe's legs gave away underneath their own weight.

"Leave him," Robin ordered. "We need to get to the others."

Both of them reached the scene, eyes widening before the view of the hallway, or at least, what was left of it. An intense fire ate away at the banners on the wall, one of the hallway entrances had collapsed and not a single Shepherd was in view – most likely behind the rubble that blocked the way.

"Oh? Perfect, I've been looking for you both." A man voiced out, a figure lurking behind the flames.

"Who are you," Robin demanded, alarms set off in his head as he took a stance.

"The messenger of death!" A dark sphere flew towards the duo – flames expanding outwards and revealing a slender man wearing golden ornaments and dark clothing – forcing the duo to dodge to the side.

"He must be the leader of this assassination," Robin and Marth ducked behind a pillar, the former elaborating a strategy. "Marth, I'll run in and distract him; follow up with an attack."

Going with the plan, Robin dashed in but was forced to dodge to the side in an instant due to another spell. Marth was unable to follow up due to the sudden attack, leaving both of them on the defensive once more.

 _'His speed is something else! If only I could cast magic...'_ Robin glanced at his hand, remembering that it was once glowing for unknown reasons just recently.

"Wait... Could it be?" At a snap of a finger, a tiny wisp of flames appeared in his palm, causing him to smile. "The reason behind it working is beyond me, but now we have a chance! I only need to-!?"

Interrupting his thoughts, a dark miasma showered down around the tactician, who dodged without hesitation. The spell had left the ground – where he once stood – withering as if hundreds of years passed by in that small radius.

Robin was now in full view of the enemy's line of fire. "Hiding is pointless!" The sorcerer's voice echoed through the halls as a spell of dark matter flew towards the tactician.

"Not today," Robin stood his ground – holding both palms outwards – taking the spell head on, the force was enough to drag him back across the marble floor; with a flick of his hands, the spell flew to the side and exploded. "D-Darn, I can't counter this guy's attacks safely."

Laughter filled the halls. "Yes.., don't you see the power I possess? You have the potential to have so much more, just by joining me!"

"Silence!" Marth shouted from behind Validar, managing to nick his back before he vanished out of sight. "Where-"

"Above you!" Robin alerted her, just in time for Marth to dodge to the side and avoid an Elfire.

As the mage floated in the air, he conjured, even more, spells to rain upon the duo. "Fools! Your attempt in standing in our way is pathetic!"

"In _our_ way?" Robin raised an eyebrow, before having to dodge yet another spell.

Right when the spell-caster descended, Marth charged in and attempted to strike him down. "So there is more of you!?" She shouted while fainting a horizontal slash, quickly following it up with a vertical upswing.

The mage didn't fall for this trick, simply letting out a chuckle while launching her away with an Elwind, Marth crashed into a pillar due to this and dropped to her knees. "I'm afraid you know all too well who I am speaking of, you filthy intruder."

Upon seeing this, Robin made his way in standing in front of his injured ally. "Gods, every single time you speak, it annoys me greatly..." The white-haired tactician raised his right palm, electricity sparking around his fingertips. "How about I show you the exit!?"

Multiple golden symbols of light hovered over the dark mage, each of them glowing intensely with power. "Arcthunder!" With Robin's command, a thunderous roar was heard as multiple Thunderbolts slammed itself against the ground.

However, the enemy mage vanished and reappeared high above the spell. "You really thought I would-"

"Thoron!" Said spell soared like an arrow and pierced Robin's foe through the chest. "You couldn't move after ascending to the air, what a pathetic ability; this is checkmate."

Robin watched as the mage fell towards the ground, but as the man fell to his death, Robin felt a sharp pain in his head. "Ugh-!?" Memories of a falling maiden, no, not just any maiden; Emmeryn was falling towards her death from a high point near a palace, Plegia's castle to be specific.

After what felt like forever, the realistic flashback disappeared as soon as they came, leaving Robin gasping for air as he fell on all fours. "Robin?" The concerned feminine voice, it was enough to let him know that Lucina had made her way next to him and sat down to examine Robin's state of health.

"I'm fine.., just give me a minute," He did his best to burn those flashbacks into his brain, for they might prove important later on. "How about you? Are you faring well?"

"Huh..?" Lucina stood up. "I'm fine, Falchion was able to heal my wounds while you protected me."

Robin glanced to the side – where Marth was – noticing that she held out a hand for him, which he took. "Ah, I see, glad you're okay then." He said while standing up with a smile.

"Nonsense, we both stood there as equals, although I will admit, it seems like we have even bigger forces against us." Lucina glanced at the fallen figure.

He followed her stare and nodded. "Indeed, I highly doubt they were Plegian.., let us investigate their body-"

Before the duo could move, the mage's corpse lit up in purple flames, which caused Falchion and Robin's mark to glow – the latter making sure Marth wouldn't notice, by putting his hand inside his own pocket.

"Something is wrong," Lucina muttered, staring at her sacred blade as the light glowed dimmer and dimmer, all while the mysterious flames diminished.

"Seems like someone out there doesn't want us to know who our attackers were." Robin narrowed his eyes, staring into the disappearing flames that seemed all too familiar to him.

The duo was interrupted by a familiar prince's voice shouting from afar, prompting Marth to take a step towards the exit. "Robin, may I speak to you in private; after everyone gets distracted."

This caught the tactician off guard for a bit, but he decided to go along with it. "Sure, but how will I distract the others?"

Marth simply shrugged. " _You're_ the master tactician, right? Figure it out." She then proceeded to walk away, heading straight for the exit.

Unfortunately, Robin wasn't able to chase after her, for Chrom was already upon him. "Are you alright, Robin?" He wasn't alone, all the Shepherds – and Emmeryn – who fought on the west-wing side were behind him, indicating that the battle was over.

"Yeah, but the palace is in ruins," The tactician pointed at the collapsed roof. "You should check on the others, I believe they're behind the rubble, and hopefully not underneath."

Chrom's eyes widen upon hearing this. "Frederick, Sumia, ride up ahead, I'll reach there soon – will you be alright here, Robin?"

"Yeah, just a bit tired, I'll go over there once I recover my stamina." Upon being reassured, they left to make sure the others were safe, giving Robin enough time to walk out of the building and into the lonely make-shift forest that the assassins hid in.

"It isn't safe out here, someone could still be lurking," Robin spoke out, hoping to catch the ears of Lucina.

"That might be true, but I can't help it," Her voice came from behind the tree lines, closer to the walls themselves.

With a small sigh, Robin made his way through the bushes and walked deeper into the garden, it wasn't long till he reached a small clearing where Lucina stood – glancing at the summer starry night.

"So, what did you want to speak about?"

For awhile, Lucina stared at the night sky in silence. "Did you foresee this night?" The simple question was enough to raise anyone's eyebrow, but Robin knew what she was referring to.

"Somewhat, your body language gave away the position of the assassin, however, my mind was constantly yelling at me that you would need help; so in a way, I have experienced this night before."

Lucina finally turned to stare at Robin, no doubt but with piercing eyes that were hidden behind the mask. "Let me be blunt with you, sir,"

"By all means, go ahead,"

"Little information has been given to me about you, and due to what I am experiencing as of late, I can safely say that I am wary of your presence."

Robin scoffed at this. "As if you have any rights to say that, you don't even belong in this current time."

Lucina frowned upon hearing this remark. "Did you not admit to me that you were also from another time, that you had a prior life to this one; was it merely a lie?"

"Of course not..!" Robin paused for a second, remembering the lingering doubts earlier that evening. "... Well actually, at least I think I'm telling the truth."

"Care to elaborate." That wasn't a question, Robin knew she demanded answers, and this was probably the last chance he had in gaining Lucina's trust.

"Lately I've been doubting my own senses... What if the flash backs I been having are all due to intense visions of possible outcomes? Or how the times I would remember something, it would be quickly explained with simple possibilities, like having experienced them before I lost my memories in this current world."

Both of them stood in silence, and it was obvious – to the both of them – that Robin's statement had one flaw.

"I can assure you, that I have never met you, and since you know who I am – something that should be impossible – shouldn't that be enough to disprove that logic." Lucina was stating facts at this point, facts that Robin couldn't disprove.

The so-called masterful tactician decided to give up on the topic. "Is that all you wanted to speak about?"

"My apologies, I simply wanted to converse with the man that has been on my tail since the day I arrived here; now that I see no malice in you, sleeping during the nights should come to me a lot easier."

"So, does that mean I finally have your trust?" Robin did his best to surpass a small smile.

"Enough for me to hand over some crucial information that should aid you - when the time comes of course - but for now, since we changed history, I won't be able to help the Shepherds until I witness what happens." Lucina no longer held an aura of distrust towards the amnesiac.

"Before you go, where will I see you again?"

"Truth be told, I'm never far from the Shepherds, chances of seeing me are slim – non-existent during the day – keep that mind." Without another word, the masked swordswoman walked away from the white-haired tactician, disappearing behind the treeline.

 _'So if I seek her during the night, I have a small chance Lucina will have a message for me...'_ Robin made his way out of the little makeshift forest, heading straight to the main hall.

Said hallway was already being cleaned by Ylissean knights, who finally arrived at the scene. "Better late than never I suppose..."

"Hiya, Bubbles. Talking to yourself?" Gaius said while exiting a hallway, chewing on – what Robin assumed – some sort of candy.

"What are you doing back here? Shouldn't you be with the others, most specifically, with Chrom?"

"Pfft, Blue might still want my head, so I decided to lay low and wait for ya; given how you defended me and all that," Gaius smiled before continuing. "Which by the by, I'll be glad to continue giving you my service if the payment still applies."

"Arrange such matters with Chrom, I only handle the tactics," Robin bluntly said while rolling his eyes. "Let just join the others."

* * *

"That is why I suggest leaving the palace, Emm," Chrom's voice was now in earshot once Robin and Gaius reunited with the group. "Ferox will no doubt be a safer location."

Emmeryn, however, was not having any of that. "And leave the people undefended?" What the Exalt said caught everyone by surprise. "War is at our borders, Chrom. Do you expect Ylisse to stand against Plegia without a leader? They must know that their Exalt stands with them."

Robin smiled, Emmeryn had finally moved on from her naive ideals, she was becoming a stronger ruler right before their eyes.

However, Chrom wasn't looking forward to potentially losing his only mother-like figure. "But what if something happens to you? What then?"

Frederick nodded - armor clanking and gaining everyone's attention. "Perhaps you might want to consider relocating, Your Grace. The palace has taken unspeakable damage, and proves to be too difficult to defend due to our forces being spread thin."

"Yes, please; at least do that," Chrom added. "I can't leave for Ferox while you're right in harm's way."

Emmeryn closed her eyes – long enough to take a deep breath – for a moment, before speaking. "... Very well."

"Thank you, Emm, I mean it," Chrom finally wore a sincere smile that day. "The Shepherds will escort you to the Eastern Palace, the same one that holds our training ground for our armored-knights."

Lissa approached her elder siblings. "Done healing everyone, luckily no one got severely injured."

"Good job, Lissa," Chrom said while glancing at his allies, many of them resting on the floor, it was then that the prince noticed Robin and Gaius. "Ah, you two are back."

"So everyone is alright?" Robin's question was answered with a nod. "And it seems we gained ourselves some new allies as well."

Panne approached them upon hearing this. "I sure hope you're not speaking about me."

Before Chrom or Robin could protest, Emmeryn took a step forward. "Ah, brave taguel, I saw how you fought out there, there are no words that could express my gratitude."

Panne raised an eyebrow. "So you know our true name?"

"So a taguel is a being that can shapeshift?" Robin interrupted the conversation.

"Yes, man-spawn, most of your kind called us _'beast'_ or _'coney'_ in the midst of their hunt, said activity is the sole reason why I am the last of my kind..." Panne's facial expression turns to that of disgust upon glancing at Virion, who hid behind Stahl.

"What!?" Emmeryn gasped out. "Is this true? Who would do such a thing?"

Panne scoffed. "Ha! Don't act so surprise, you're all the same as the man-spawn that invaded our Warren and slaughtered my people. Right down to your base desire to ruin and destroy all you touch – even each other."

No one dared speak up to this, for Panne was mostly right. _'It sure is interesting to see how an outside species sees us...'_ Robin thought to himself, only to be surprised by Emmeryn, who suddenly bowed her head in front of the taguel.

"... Perhaps there is truth to your words," The Exalt spoke up. "I have heard that taguels see each other as equals, something that mankind could have learned from..." Emmeryn straightens and looked up, straight into Panne's sharp eyes. "The words may come too late and mean too little, but I am deeply sorry. We have stolen your friends and family, and made the world a lesser place."

Gaius whistled with an impress tune. "Quite the ruler we have, don't we?" He whispered next to Robin.

"Don't you ever shut up?" The tactician hissed out, causing Gaius to hold both palms open beside his face innocently.

"You claim to be blameless," Panne's voice filled the halls once more. "And yet you would apologize? Pah! Your words are but wind."

"I know," Emmeryn voice showed hints of pain, but continued to speak. "But they are all I have."

Panne took a step forward, enough to glare deeply into Emmeryn's jade colored eyes. "... You seem sincere, man-spawn. You feel my pain as your own.., I've never felt that before." The taguel took a step back after saying that and spread her arms for a moment. "Look at me, see what I am. I will never trust mankind. But you.., perhaps you truly are not like the others."

This made the Exalt smile softly. "All I ask is a chance to earn your trust, a chance to fix the broken bridges between our species."

Panne responded by shaking her head. "I'm afraid that won't be possible, for all that awaits me is extinction, my species is no longer going to see the next sunrise, I am all that is left."

Robin couldn't help but feel guilty, and he was positive that everyone else felt the same.

"Then tell me what can I do in order to gain your trust?" Emmeryn said with a determined voice, causing many to perk up from their shame and embarrassed selves.

"Didn't I say I owe the Exalt? If help is what you seek, I shall give it in order to repay my debt; prove me during that time what little honor mankind has left." Panne said, crossing both arms.

Before the topic could continue, the sound of clanking alerted everyone of an approaching squadron of Pegasus Knights. "Your Grace!" Phila shouted as she ran to Emmeryn's side.

"Ah, Phila welcome back."

The knight looked incredibly worried. "Welcome back!? Your Grace, pardon for my rudeness, but I'm afraid such greetings is far too casual when considering the situation at hand, the palace was attacked!"

Emmeryn gave the women a smile. "Peace, Phila, everything is fine now thanks to the Shepherds."

"So it seems," Phila glanced at Chrom's group of fighters, eyes lingering a bit longer than the rest when it came to Robin. "Perhaps it would be wise to stay by your side from now-"

A loud yawn caught everyone by surprise. "Can we go to bed now?" Lissa said with one eye open, rubbing the other one with her hand.

Chrom chuckled. "Yes, well fought everyone – get some much-needed rest, tomorrow we shall depart and escort Emmeryn to a safer location before heading to Regna Ferox."

The Shepherds cheered in response, ending the first out of many hard trials to come.

* * *

 **AN: Well there we have it, my story is finally leaving the clutches of the main game's story... Certain things will be different, as we saw here, and of course, said things will be explained when the time comes.  
** **Also, I had trouble deciding if Validar would die or live, haha, so I just flip a coin and killed the poor man. (and I didn't want to invest too much in changing the story even further down the line and waste MORE time, kinda want to get to the good stuff you know?).**

 **Once again, thank you all so much for the follows (Almost 80!) and reviews, favorites, and PMs.**

 **Next chapter will most likely fall into two weeks from now, see ya next time!**


	9. Chapter 9: Incursion

**Disclaimer: In no way do I claim to own the Fire Emblem Series, all content goes to their rightful owner.**

 **AN: Hey everyone, I'm pretty sure you're wondering what took me so long; kinda a long story, but to make it short and sweet, I moved out and had to do many errands during my free time due to college.**

 **However, my schedule is free now and we're back to a normal pace! Don't worry, this story won't end till it's finished, it serves as a hobby of mine, and a way to continue practicing this language.**

 **As an apology for the delay, I broke my rule of posting on Mondays, I just couldn't allow myself to make everyone wait an entire fourth(?) week, haha!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:** **Incursion**

 _Location: Unknown._

Robin slowly opened his eyes, blinking twice before realizing he was staring at a twilight tinted sky. "Wasn't I inside the palace..?" He muttered to himself, mustering the strength to stand up on his two feet and observe his surroundings.

"W-Where am I?" The tactician's eyes widen as he looked around; sand and dunes were the only things in sight for miles on end, there were zero signs of life.

Suddenly, a harsh wind – that blasted his exposed skin with razor sharp grains of sand – forced Robin to shield his eyes with an arm.

"Finally, it worked," A deep voice echoed through the realm, causing Robin to stand his ground and ignore the rushing wind. "Peace, Robin, I wish not to fight you."

Once the wind subsided, a figure at a distance – in front of the tactician – appeared and stood silently. "Who are you.., and where am I?"

The mysterious being wore the same coat Robin did, but had its hood up, making it impossible to see its face. "I'm afraid I can only answer one of those questions; we're inside a realm that showcases your emotions, and memories."

Upon hearing this, Robin allowed his eyes to wander once more. "It's just a desert, there's literally nothing here."

"Exactly, you may not admit it, but you think you're alone in this world; wandering aimlessly without a purpose in a place you do not belong."

What the being said somehow made Robin lose his composure. "Who are _you_ to say such a thing!?" Almost instantly, Robin's hands went up to his mouth to cover it.

"Confused?" It spoke out in a calm tone. "This place.., it shows who you are, and what you want to say without hesitation."

Robin slowly lowered his hands and raised an eyebrow. "Are you my consciousness or something?"

In order to answer the question, the being lifted its right hand and showed the back. "No."

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Why do you have that symbol," Robin demanded while glancing at his own hand, the symbol he bared was gone.

"To my understanding, this symbol is what represents me, a being who has been trapped here for awhile now – somehow we share the same energy, and mana as well."

"So.., the reason I couldn't use magic was your own doing?" Memories of the unspeakable pain littered the tactician's mind.

"The constant stress of using magic in the ways you were doing... They're not suited for what your body can endure, so much so, that it was starting to drain your lifespan entirely; something I must not allow."

"Must not allow..?" Robin reflected on those words. "Surely you must have a reason for protecting me then."

"No, you're wrong; my reasoning behind preventing yourself from committing suicide is a mystery that even I can't solve."

This caused the tactician to just stare at the being in disbelief. "Next thing you'll tell me is that you lost your memories or something."

"Correct,"

"Seriously!?" Robin gasped out, only to pinch the bridge of his nose after seeing that it was completely serious.

"All this time I've spent here, I have only been able to obverse your adventure, granting you access to a great amount of my own strength; only to realize your physical body is not ready. Not only that, but I have yet to figure out who I am, and what is my own purpose, just like you." The mysterious being glanced up towards the sky. "Only the instinct of keeping you safe remains."

Robin followed its gaze, the sky was covered in dark clouds that were starting to spiral above their heads.

"Mind explaining why I was able to use magic during the assassination attempt?" He asked, while still staring at the sky, mesmerized by the phenomenon that was going on.

"A lingering danger alerted me. You must be careful Robin, it is a threat that even I fear."

Robin responded with a short nod, redirecting his gaze to the being in front of him. "Naturally, I expect you to help me from now on if what you're saying is true."

"Hmm," It continued after shrugging. "Only if you train hard enough to withhold my power, however, our time here is up."

"What..? What do you mean-!?" Suddenly, a gust of wind lifted the tactician off his feet, Robin attempted to balance himself but kept spiraling out of control in the air due to the strange forces of wind.

"Remember my words," The same deep voice echoed in his head this time. "Should you require the strength to combine my mind and your physical form, simply remember the burning pain in your heart... Seek the purpose that shall lend you strength."

Even if it was only for a few seconds, Robin managed to glance below him as he was being pulled upwards. The mysterious being stood its ground without trouble – immune to what was going on – it was truly trapped inside this weird realm.

Any further thoughts were interrupted by a blinding light, forcing Robin to lose focus and zone out completely.

* * *

Location: Ylisstol's palace.

"Rooobin~!" A chirpy voice filled the bedroom.

"Go away, Lissa..." Robin muttered, his facial expression stern, as he exposed his back to the intruder.

Lissa pouted as she walked to the other side of the bed. "C'mon Robin, we'll be late for breakfast if you don't get up!" The Ylissean princess started poking his cheek.

"Stop that," Robin grumbled out in vain, as Lissa continued to poke with a finger. "..." Lissa didn't listen. "Fine! You win, how did you even get in here anyway..."

"You forgot to lock the door." Lissa took a step back as Robin sat on the edge of his bed, watching him with a smile as he leaned forward and reached under his bed for a pair of boots. "Honestly, I didn't expect you to be such a heavy sleeper."

"Huh?" Robin raised an eyebrow, already reaching for his coat that sat on a nearby chair. "Care to elaborate?"

"Well, Frederick says that soldiers should always be prepared for anything, even during their sleep – so I expected you to just instantly wake up after I opened the door, due to how amazing you are at war tactics and stuff."

Upon hearing this, Robin couldn't help but frown. "I'm not some type of war machine, Lissa." He said with a short sigh. _'At least, I like to think am not.'_

Lissa giggled and gestured at the door. "Sure you aren't; see ya at Shepherd's Garrison!"

Robin watched the young princess leave the room with a small spring to her step, closing the door as she exited. "Glad Lissa never changes," He muttered once she left.

The newly founded silence in the room was enough to allow Robin's mind to wander, specifically about the recent dream he had. "Am I going crazy..?" He stared at his hand, fully aware of the symbol's existence that hid underneath his glove. "Maybe I should cut my hand off-"

"Robin!" Lissa's muffled voice was heard behind the wooden frame. "I swear, if you went back to sleep I'll steal your meal."

"H-Hey that isn't fair," Robin hurried towards the door and opened it, revealing a smirking princess with hands behind her back. "I thought you said you went to the garrison."

Lissa struck a dramatic pose. "We can't have you lying to this naive and innocent princess,"

"Har har, very funny," Robin smiled, eyes following Lissa as she started walking down the hallway.

"C'mon we need to hurry before Frederick decides we should leave early." Upon hearing this, the tactician nodded and followed after closing the door.

"Hey, doesn't Frederick make everyone train at least an hour a day? I wonder why he hasn't told me anything as of late."

Lissa held her laughter, which caused Robin to raise an eyebrow. "Who knows~?" Was the last thing the princess said.

 _…_

The Shepherds had finally left the safety of the palace, already marching uphill towards the hidden palace located near the Eastern-border of Feroxi.  
Behind the moving squadron of Chrom's group, was Emmeryn's guards of honor, however, there was one individual that was lagging behind them all.

"R-Really starting to regret jinxing myself..." Robin muttered as he dragged his legs across the road.

Frederick had decided it was best to start training the white-haired tactician at this very moment – making Robin wear weights on his legs during the march – due to how busy the Shepherds were going to be during the war. This was the only optimal opportunity for building up Robin's endurance and overall stamina.

Unfortunately, Frederick also decided to lock the weights, since apparently, no one was going to keep an eye out and make sure Robin wouldn't cheat.

"I suppose this is for the best," A shadow loomed over him, followed by the sound of flapping wings. "Sumia?"

The Pegasus Knight landed gracefully next to the tired tactician. "Hiya, Robin, Frederick asked me to deliver this."

Sumia held out a canteen of water, which Robin gratefully took and gingerly opened the lid before drinking the cold liquid inside. "Thank you so much," He said before continuing to drink.

"Don't worry about it," Sumia smiled back and relaxed in her saddle, allowing herself to sigh loudly.

Robin raised an eyebrow and glanced up ahead before eyeing Sumia. "Someone on your mind?"

"H-Huh?" Sumia's eyes widen slightly before her cheeks turn a slight shade of pink. "No, of course not, what makes you think that?"

This made the tactician chuckle with a small smile plastered on his face. "I only jest, Sumia."

"Aw, of course, everyone always jokes about it." She pouted with a huff.

"Hmm..? So something is indeed on your mind."

For awhile, Sumia rode alongside the white-haired tactician in silence, only speaking up once a strong breeze blew by. "How do you get someone to trust you more, Robin?"

At first, the Tactician was taken back from the question but quickly connected the dots. "Just be there for them, show them your support and listen." To be honest, Robin was mostly repeating what little words would describe his recent actions towards Lucina.

"Yeah, I guess you're right – it seems to be something that you're talented at doing, after all."

"Getting others to trust me?" Robin questioned, not fully understanding what the pegasus knight meant.

Sumia nodded and pointed at her coat with narrowed eyes. "Yeah, there's something about you.., like an aura of some kind. Not to mention, you somehow earned the trust and respect of others while sporting those symbols."

Robin's eyes fell onto the purple marks on his sleeves. "Is something wrong with them? I have noticed others mentioning how odd they look."

"Wait, you don't know what they are..? And here we thought you were a Grimleal."

The title, Grimleal, it echoed in Robin's head for a moment. "I'm afraid I did not know the meaning behind these markings, I woke up while having it tied to my torso, preventing blood loss." He lied.

Sumia gasped under her breath. "I heard you lost your memories, so I'm afraid I don't know the full story, sorry if I'm intruding."

"Not at all," Robin decided to continue lying for now. "I'm more than positive that the bandits that attacked South-Town, are the same ones who injured me before I lost my memories, luckily I washed up on the shore of a river and managed to recover in said town before they arrived after – I'm presuming – escaping them prior to that day."

"Ah, so that's what you've pieced together..."

"Yes," Robin glanced up ahead, eyeing the Shepherds. "However, I didn't think people mistrusted me because of my clothing, maybe I should consider changing my coat."

Sumia giggled. "That would help a great deal,"

 _'Can't believe no one told me.., I guess they were trying to respect my potential religion. It would actually explain a lot of things, especially since the people of Ylisse worship Naga.'_ The tactician allowed his mind to wander for a bit, his newly found memories of the Grimleal corrupted his thoughts with ease. "Mind doing me a favor, Sumia?"

"Depends if I can help with it," Sumia turned her attention towards Robin, interested eyes gazing at him.

"Mind clearing up the ill rumors with the others? I'm afraid I still haven't earned everyone's trust yet, and your help will be very appreciated."

Sumia nodded. "Of course, I'll do my best."

However, before the duo could continue speaking, the sound of a war-horn filled the air; Robin and Sumia tensed up as they counted the melodies.

Once it was done playing, a sense of dread filled the two. "Enemies have been spotted," Robin muttered.

"Robin, get on!" Sumia quickly reached out with a hand, which the Tactician used to quickly hop on the Pegasus.

Said mystical horse started running until they reached the edge of the cliff and jumped off it, wings spanning outwards as they soared next to the cliff's side.

As the Shepherds approached the front, the roars of countless Wyverns could be heard up ahead. "The Plegian army! How did they find us!?" Robin shouted above the rushing winds.

"Better hang on tight, Robin!" Sumia warned before whipping the reins, commanding her steed to kick the air in order to gain height, enough to fly out of the ravine and above the rocky road.

The entire road, ahead of the Shepherds was covered by Plegia's infantry and Wyvern riders. "I'm jumping off, Sumia," Upon hearing this, Sumia hovered above the ground and allowed the tactician to do so, Robin made his way towards the prince. "Chrom!"

"So he was a traitor," Chrom said with a piercing gaze, directed towards the corpse of a Hierarch, just a few feet ahead, the old man had been cut down by a Plegian after he begs for mercy.

Robin eyed the fallen man when he heard this. "That would explain how they found us... However, for now, we need to take a few steps back and play the defensive role."

Chrom didn't hesitate to bark out the orders, the Shepherds moved as a single unit once more, making sure to not allow any Plegian soldiers near Emmeryn's group. "Create an iron wall; that no Plegian dog will pierce through!" Chrom shouted, boosting everyone's morale as they braced themselves for the incoming wave of enemies soldiers.

Robin charged up a spell, throwing a sphere of electricity at an incoming axe-wielder, nailing them right in the chest. "Kellam, Frederick, advance!" He shouted as they gained some extra ground.

A slight flash – coming from the nearby forest – alerted the tactician's alarms. "Elwind!" Ricken shouted from behind, redirecting the incoming arrow.

"Thank you, Ricken! Someone get that archer!"

Lon'qu took this as the perfect opportunity to dash forward, avoiding any melee users along the way, heading straight over to where the archer hid in the nearby forest with incredible speed.

"Virion, Miriel, Ricken; focus on the skies," Robin's orders were responded with spells and arrows being flung at the incoming Wyverns.

Chrom finished off a Plegian soldier a couple of feet away from the front lines before turning tail and standing next to Robin. "What now?"

"We have to take out their commander, I doubt they have more than one officer leading this suicide mission."

Both men scanned the battlefield until they locked onto a man who was at the backlines, commanding his soldiers to advance as he rode his Wyvern at the peak of the mountain.

"Sumia!" After his rally, it wasn't long till the Pegasus Knight landed nearby. "Stay on the ground near me, we'll take down their commander when the opportunity is given."

"Yes, Captain." She proceeded to advance a pace forward, guarding the front lines alongside the other Cavaliers.

Robin noticed that Lon'qu was still in the nearby forest, which worried him. "I'll be right back," He made his way over to he Feroxi's location, however, the weights that he still wore was slowing him down.

Once the tactician arrived, he was already gasping for air as he scanned the area, the sound of steel clashing wasn't far away; further enhancing his resolve to keep moving.

Lon'qu dodged a sword wielder, their blade getting stuck in the tree trunk. Before the Feroxi could finish off the Plegian foe, the latter rolled to the side and abandoned their weapon, making a run for it.

"Elthunder!" Robin shouted, spell hitting the Plegian's back and sending them face first into the ground.

"I was fine," Lon'qu said in a serious tone.

This made the Tactician smirk. "Hey, I was just making sure – can't have one of our best sword users die out here."

"Are you trying to mock me?" Lon'qu narrowed his eyes.

To this, Robin raised both hands defensively. "Now isn't the time to argue, let us save it for once we get rid of these dastards."

Luckily this was enough to satisfy Lon'qu, who nodded in agreement. "Lead the way."

"Not so fast, Ylisseans pigs!" A pair of Plegians appeared from the side, one wielding a sword, another wielding a spear.

Robin pointed at the sword-wielder. "Get him, Lon'qu."

"With pleasure..!" Lon'qu charged forward, blistering speed outmatching his foe in mere seconds, forcing the Plegian to step back while blocking the barrage of attacks.

However, before Lon'qu could finish his foe, the other enemy Soldier blocked an attack. "Get off of him, mate!" The plegian shouted as he stood in Lon'qu's way.

"Elthunder!" Robin interrupted their interaction and forcing the Spearman to enter a deadlock with his iron-sword. "Now's your chance, Lon'qu!"

The Feroxi didn't hesitate to dash in, attempting to finish off the spear wielder. "As if I'll allow you!" The same swordsman that almost got killed protected his ally.

"Out of my way!" Lon'qu growled, taking a step forward and jumping with a spin, perfectly cutting through the Plegian's shoulder and into his chest in a swift motion.

Robin didn't flinch at the scene, however, his opponent's resolve shattered and fear started sinking in - the tactician noticed this - allowing Robin to push him back and cause the enemy to lose balance.

Lon'qu continued to press forward. "How well will you die!?" This time, the Feroxi ex-champion delivered two fatal slashes in quick succession, ending their life instantly.

Robin let out a sigh of relief, as Lon'qu flicked his blade to the side and cleaned it of any blood.

"We should get back to the frontline before more of them ambush us here," Robin continued. "Just cut down anything that moves in front of us and we should be fine for now." Both Shepherds left the forest and rejoined with the others.

Wyvern-Riders rushed down from the peaks, engaging the Shepherds cavalier forces. Sully, Frederick, and Stahl were quick to counter this attack by circling the large reptilians – who were forced to land due to the Ylissean mages and archer.

"Hey, Stahl! Get this damn dastard off me, will ya!" Sully said while barely dodging a Wyvern's bite with her steed.

The Olive-haired knight wasted no time in lunging from behind, stabbing the Rider's back and ending their life.

Frederick advanced and covered his allies from any incoming danger. "Both of you, check the Exalt and their position, report back after doing so." The Stalwart Knight commanded, eyes narrowing upon locking onto an incoming Wyvern-Rider.

"Yes, sir!" The duo said in unison before leaving.

As the Plegian landed, Frederick wasted no time in commanding his mount to gallop forward; blocking the enemies spear with his own as they closed the distance.  
With the help of quick reflexes, Frederick kicked the Wyvern's maw with great force before it attempted to bite his steed, his mount already moving out of the creature's range swiftly.

"I'm afraid your end approaches!" Frederick impaled the Silver-Lance into the ground next to his steed, reaching to the back end of his war-horse and pulling out a Javelin that it carried.

The Plegian soldier saw this coming and commanded his partner to flap its wings and make a run for it. "No one can escape the Great-Virion!" An arrow pierced the Wyvern's wing; forcing it to lose balance and kick off its rider mid-air.

Frederick threw his spear and impaled the man mid-fall. "Impressive shot," The Stalwart Knight complimented the archer for his assistance.

"Twas a thing of beauty." Virion winked with a smile.

A roar was heard, causing Virion to flinch in surprise as a Wyvern sneaked behind him. "Move, Man-spawn!" Panne's distorted voice drowned out the screams of terror that came from the bluenette.

Panne's Beast form was agile enough to slide on the ground, avoiding the Rider's axe, and allowing her to kick the Wyvern's side and topple it over.

Vaike took this opening as a chance to finish off the rider by throwing his weapon, the Wyvern fled for its life once its owner perished. "The Vaike and Benny never miss!"

Panne scoffed at this and decided to keep dashing around, preventing any further riders from landing; effectively forcing them all to stay air-bound.

Naturally, Robin noticed the change in the momentum and proceeded to bark out orders; commanding any range wielding shepherds to attack the aerial units as they advanced once more.

Chrom took down another Plegian soldier before speaking to his tactician. "If we keep going like this, we'll be able to escape by running downhill and reach the woods on the other side."  
 _  
_"That's the idea," Robin said before blocking a lancer – parrying the spear aside with a flick of his wrist – leaving the foe wide open for Chrom's attack. "However, these soldiers are hellbent on killing us – they are filled with vengeance."

This was the main issue that Robin knew was coming; morale was off the roof when it came to Plegia's army, Gangrel's people believe his lies and trickery, so this meant that in their eyes, Ylisse was the villain and they were the heroes.  
On the other hand, Ylisse was still hesitating; only a few soldiers and knight who have trained for this had joined their cause, while the citizens simply argued and disagreed with the sudden declaration of war.

Plegia's generals were also proficient at what they did, some of them being veterans of the previous war, and naturally, before the Shepherds could continue advancing, the Plegian army suddenly retreated.

Their commander, Vasto, wasn't going to let Robin control the melody of war. "Every unit, fall back! Stall these dastards until our reinforcements bombard them from behind!" Vasto shouted from afar.

As the enemies retreated, Ylisse stood their ground. "Robin, is it a trap?" Chrom asked for confirmation.

"Hmm," Robin took in the situation. "Most likely.., but something seems off-"

"Commander Phila! Prince Chrom!" A feminine distant voice – with a tone of panic – shouted from afar, behind the Ylisseans.

Phila was the first one to notice who it was. "Cordelia!? Why are you here; explain the reasoning behind abandoning your station."

Cordelia landed between the Royal guards and the Shepherds, quickly dismounting her steed and almost falling in the process.  
The Pegasus Knight lacked her helmet this time – crimson hair flowing freely with the rushing wind – and seemed slightly wounded in numerous areas, said bruises matching her dent armor.

"Plegian reinforcements, not a day's march behind; they plan to pincer you," Cordelia reported without a skip of a beat.

Everyone processed the information, especially Robin, who was already formulating a plan of action. "Get someone to heal Cordelia, she's obviously wounded – everyone else – we'll run down the enemy's front line with our cavalier, while our range units will target the skies; infantry units cut down any archers!"

Chrom instantly knew what the plan was. "Sumia," His eyes locking onto a very distracted Pegasus Knight, she was concerned with Cordelia's health. "Sumia!"

Upon hearing her name the second time, she commanded her steed to stand next to the prince. "Captain?"

"This is our opportunity to strike down the commander, are you ready?"

"Of course!" A confident nod and smile were all Chrom needed.

While most of the Shepherds moved into position, Robin stayed behind and kept an eye on Lissa – who was concentrating on healing Cordelia – just in case any Plegian soldier sneaked up on them.

"Cordelia," Robin approached the knight. "Your recent report will aid us greatly, but mind telling me why you're wounded?"

Cordelia's eyes cascaded down towards the ground, bangs of hair hiding her facial expression. "The border has fallen, sir..."

Upon hearing this, Robin's eyes widen in surprise. "... Come again?" He muttered, not fully believing what he had heard.

"They bombard us with archers and magic... Fire everywhere-" Cordelia took in a sharp breath, her body starting to shake. "S-Screams of terror as my sisters fell one by one..."

Lissa directed her gaze towards Robin, her concerned eyes speaking countless words towards the tactician.

Robin knew that the Ylissean princess was expecting him to somehow cheer up the depressed Knight, just like he did with Lissa; during the trip to Regna Ferox.

 _'I'm not some sort of hero, Lissa..,'_ Robin took a deep breath and let it all out, collecting the right words before speaking. "Have you truly given up?"

Cordelia perked up slightly, taking in his words. "Pardon?"

"Have you lost hope and the will to continue fighting?"

The simple question lingered in the air, the duo ignoring the sound of fighting coming from afar for the time being.

"I don't know, sir..." Cordelia finally said while finding the ground more interesting.

Robin turned, facing the battlefield once more, memories of painful nights invading his mind. Pain that he couldn't comprehend why he felt it inside his heart, for those nights have yet to come.

"Grab that doubt, because once it is gone, and you have a firm answer; there won't be turning back. You either stand and fight or let those who sacrificed their lives be in vain."

Lissa took a step back from the female knight, who was fully healed. Cordelia stared at the palm of her hand, she held a small seashell that threatens to bring a tear to her eyes at the mere sight of it.

Robin continued. "I won't say it twice, but a Soldier doesn't have the option to linger on choices, we pick decisions in split seconds that determine our fate and everyone around us. Hesitation has no place in the battlefield, for it will bring great harm to your comrades."

"Then what would you pick?" Cordelia's voice got a bit stronger, her resolve strengthening by the second.

Robin couldn't help but smile and glance over his shoulder, locking eyes with the Pegasus Knight. "I choose to tip the scales in our favor."

* * *

Chrom and the Shepherds had managed to destroy the enemy's frontline with the power of their Cavaliers and Panne.

"Milord!" Frederick rode alongside a ground-locked Sumia, who carried the prince on her steed. "The enemy General is moving forward, they plan to meet us head on."

Chrom's eyes lock onto the charging Wyvern-Riders up ahead. "We'll give them a taste of our steel, leave the general to Sumia and me."

Frederick led Sully and Stahl towards the front, forming a spear formation with Frederick at the front, ready to give the prince an opening when the time came.

Any further commands were drowned out by the fierce roars of the enemy Wyverns, followed by the clashing of steel. The tactic had worked, causing a visible dent in the enemy's formation to appear.

"Sumia, now!" Chrom commanded while unsheathing Falchion, holding it up high as Sumia commanded her steed to fly.

The duo quickly approached Vasto, who wielded their Silver-Axe over their shoulder. "Oh? Coming all the way up here; just to get splattered across the canyon's floor? I'll admit, that is quite admirable, for a pair of _fiends._ "

Chrom grit his teeth. "Silence, the only fiend here is you, Plegian dog!" He spat out with venom.

Vasto ignored the Prince's comment and ordered his partner to advance, forcing Sumia to dive underneath the large Wyvern too suddenly for Chrom to attack. "Captain, the tail!" Sumia warned just in time for Chrom to block the tail from slamming the Ylisseans, it did, however, cause them to steer off course due to the impact.

"I'll focus on attacking, just keep us in the air, Sumia," Chrom ordered as they regained their balance and charged towards the Plegian General.

Both sides dashed forward, barely missing each other as they jousted in the air constantly – Chrom's attacks would either miss or be too weak to pierce the Wyvern's armor.

"What's the matter Ylisseans? Too pathetic to excel at one of the few things you're famous for?!" Vasto taunted. "Oh, I remember how we stormed your pathetic borders, hearing you filthy rats cry out for mercy was delightful."

"J-Just shut up already!" Sumia suddenly shouted. "You hurt Cordelia; killed my Pegasus Knight sisters.., you deserve nothing but death!"

Vasto lifted an eyebrow as Sumia commanded her steed to gain height. "Let us see what they have in stored then..." He muttered to himself, positioning his Wyvern properly in order to dodge when needed.

Sumia and co used the sun as cover, making it impossible for Vasto to see what they were doing. "Take this!" Sumia flung her lance towards the Wyvern-Rider.

However, Vasto moved his mount slightly upon hearing the war cry, avoiding any critical damage as the Javelin nicked his Wyvern's neck. "Ha, is that all you got-!?"

The Ylissean knight commanded her steed to dive, while Chrom prepared the final blow as they sky dropped upon the General. "Have another!" Falchion pierced the Wyvern's scales as if it was paper, causing it to cry out in pain as it panicked.

Vasto pulled the reins and forced his mount to stabilized, however, the sacred blade had pierced the Wyvern's side and his steed would soon bleed to death. "N-No! I won't fall here.., this-"

"Arcthunder!" Robin's voice was heard as the magical spell connected with its target, sending Vasto and his mount spiraling down towards the ground.

"Robin, Cordelia," Sumia said in surprise, as the two newcomers flew over next to them.

Robin smirked. "What? Did you think I'll stay behind and watch?"

"Not at all, friend," Chrom chuckled. "It seems like victory is ours."

The view allowed the Ylisseans – and Robin – to view the battlefield, and it was obvious that the Shepherds had a huge advantage now that the Plegian troops were scattered and lacked a commander.

"Milord," Cordelia spoke up. "We should head to safety, Plegian reinforcements should be coming soon – I suggest hiding in the nearby woods at the foot of the mountain."

Chrom nodded. "Yes, that will do; let us move out then."

 _..._

Upon reaching the safety and cover of the dense forest, the Ylisseans had set up camp nicely and were patrolling the area just in case.  
They had settled on leaving the following morning and head to the eastern palace before things were far too late – as for now, some of the important figures of the group were located in a single area, the war tent.

Cordelia had just finished reporting to the others, once more, the dire situation that the borders were in and the potential invasion of enemy troops heading towards Ylisstol was a massive danger.

Everyone in the room waited for Emmeryn's response and course of action that she would like to take in this matter.

"Going back to the capital seems to be the wisest decision," The Exalt finally spoke up; no one dared speak, for they were expecting this answer. "It would be unfitting for a ruler to abandon their people at such a dire situation."

Chrom suddenly stood up, causing the chair to scrape the ground. "Please reconsider Emmeryn, you'll be walking straight into a war zone."

"Chrom," Emmeryn shook her head, hair locks swaying with the motion. "The people need their ruler by their side."

"What good is that if you get yourself killed?" Chrom's eyes narrowed, his tolerance diminishing with each word. "Don't you see that if you perish, it would cause so much more pain to everyone around you?"

The tent went silent, it was obvious that Chrom was talking about how much it would pain him and Lissa to lose Emmeryn. "My mind is set, Chrom."

Upon hearing this, Chrom's eyes shifted and gazed at Robin – searching his amber eyes – hoping to get an answer from the tactician. "I'm afraid Emmeryn is right..," Robin said with a saddened tone. "The Morale of our troops is incredibly important, and the soldiers back at the palace will need the presence of someone they want to protect and follow."

"Robin-" Chrom attempted to speak, but Robin held up a hand.

"I'm completely against Emmeryn's departure, losing our Exalt would be devastating beyond words, however, it would be the only way that encourages our troops to stall the invasion long enough for Regna Ferox to send reinforcements."

Speaking the truth was Robin's job, even if it made him seem like the villain, it was his responsibility to always point out what was right and what was wrong, regardless of his feelings.

Emmeryn stood up. "It is settled then, the Shepherds will continue their journey towards the Eastern-Palace and head straight to Regna Ferox via the nearby border." The Exalt said with no hesitation behind her words.

Cordelia took a step forward. "Your Grace, I advise waiting till dawn, for the Plegian soldiers are still searching for our party."

Phila agreed with the young Pegasus Knight. "I shall escort you back to the palace when the time comes, Your Grace."

The Exalt nodded. "Very well, we leave at the first signs of sunrise then." And with that, Emmeryn left the tent alongside Phila.

A couple of seconds went by before Chrom kicked a chair off its feet. "Robin," Chrom muttered, glaring at the tactician. "I'll appreciate it if you don't send my sister to her own grave next time."

"Chrom..." Before he could defend himself, the prince left in a hurry – most likely going to try and convince Emmeryn to stay.

Frederick soon followed after, and that left only two members. "Your position must be tough." Cordelia broke the silence while heading over to the table, collecting maps and other pieces of paper that would need to be stored safely.

"Sometimes," Robin moved to help the knight, picking up the chair that was kicked. "You tend to get used to all the glares and questioning looks after some time."

Cordelia laughed weakly. "I know what you mean..."

"Say, you're the same person who rejected the position of entering the Shepherds, right?" Robin stacked two books on top of each other before lifting them, setting them in place inside a nearby chest.

"Who told you that?"

"A little birdy," Robin smiled lightly, not wanting to get Sumia in trouble.

"I assume being sly as a fox is part of the job?"

"Most of the time," Robin chuckled. "But you should really accept the position, we could benefit from an extra flier you know."

"Oh? And whats in it for me?"

This made the tactician lift an eyebrow. "A learning experience; your lance work is a bit weak for example."

Now it was Cordelia's turn to return the gesture. "Excuse me?"

Robin smiled inwardly, making sure to keep his outer mask completely serious. "You depend on your mount too much, unlike you, when it comes to our Cavaliers, I can see how strong their striking arm is without the help of their steed."

Naturally, the Plegian was just bluffing at this point, Cordelia dominated with her weapon of choice, but Robin was starting to remember who Cordelia was.

"Would you like me to demonstrate how wrong you are?" The crimson haired knight said with narrowed eyes.

 _'A prideful individual she is; while also being ill-tempered...'_ Robin gestured to the exit of the camp. "Gladly, a sparring match would do just fine."

Once the duo reached a secluded area that provided enough space to fight in, they took their respective positions a few feet away from each other – both using their real weapons, opting to just strike with the blunt side.

"Basic rules I assume," Robin voiced out.

"Correct." Cordelia took a normal defensive position, standing sideways while pointing the tip of the spear towards her opponent.

Robin didn't move, only unsheathing his blade and standing tall with his weapon in hand. "Ready when you're then."

At first, Cordelia looked at him as if he was crazy, but took a deep breath to relax her senses. "I'll make this quick then..." She muttered before charging forward.

At a single glance, Robin knew Cordelia was a lot slower than Sumia, so he delayed his fool's guard just a bit longer. After waiting until the last possible second, Robin took a step forward and flicked the lance aside, this allowed the tactician to advance once more and tackle Cordelia with a shoulder.

Caught off guard, Cordelia lost her balance and stumbled backwards, a fatal move that Robin swiftly capitalized on. "Thunder!" A weak ball of electricity shot forward and hit the Knight's chest plate.

Cordelia flinched as she felt her senses go numb for a second. "M-Magic? I thought we were having a normal sparring match."

"Ha, war doesn't have rules," Robin crossed his arms and stood there with a smirk. "Or maybe it's because I'm sly as a fox?"

The tactician's mocking words made Cordelia turn tail and get back into position, actions speaking loud and clear.

"... Very well, one last match then." Robin agreed.

In the blink of an eye, Cordelia dashed forward and closed the distance between herself and Robin; forcing the tactician to block two consecutive attacks before he pushed her back.

 _'Whoa, those strikes were way stronger - stronger than Sumia's to be exact - didn't expect her striking arm to be that intense...'_ Robin took a traditional swordmaster stance, not taking his opponent lightly anymore.

Cordelia closed the gap once more, the flash of her lance slicing the air as Robin ducked underneath a horizontal swipe.  
Before the Ylissean knight could continue her barrage of attacks, Robin was quick to slam his palm on Cordelia's forehead – causing her to stumble back – and allowing the tactician to charge up a weak spell; finishing the sparring match by throwing a small sphere of magic at her torso region.

"O-Once more," Cordelia demanded while striking a shaky stance.

"Sure, but under one condition," Robin paused long enough for Cordelia to stand up straight. "Join the Shepherds and I'll be glad to spar with you when I have the time."

"If only it was that simple," Cordelia's words were barely heard.

"If it's about not being worthy of the position, then I'm sorry to say but-"

"That was nothing but a lie," Cordelia continued. "A lie that I told to Sumia so she would take my spot and not feel bad about it."

"... So you knew who told me from the start." She answered with a short nod. "But why did you lie then? Both of you could have easily joined together."

"Because..," Cordelia looked around and took a deep breath. "Sumia deserves much more, she is a very hardworking individual that scores poor results in most cases; yet she never gave up."

Robin assumed that Cordelia was speaking about the training they both endured during their first days as Pegasus Knights. "Hmm, sounds like Sumia has a very good friend then. However, I refuse to believe that is the only reasoning behind your actions."

"... I just don't want to hurt our friendship," Cordelia muttered softly.

The tactician raised an eyebrow, prompting Cordelia to continue. "We..," She paused and sighed. "We share the same feelings towards the same man."

 _'Chrom?'_ Robin quickly pieced together. "Is there an issue to that?"

"Of course there is!" She looked around, making sure that no one else would hear them. "I fell in love while I knew she had feelings for him. What type of friend does that?"

"A normal human being perhaps?" Robin made light of the situation. "Sure, you're trying to hide your feelings for the sake of Sumia, but at this point, you're just being selfish."

"Excuse me?" Cordelia would have continued to protest, if not for Robin suddenly raising a hand and stopping her.

"Do you know how bad Sumia feels? Have you asked her what she thinks about parting ways with her close friend? News flash, she feels terrible and believes you felt pity towards her." Robin remembered how bad Sumia's self-esteem was whenever Cordelia was mentioned at Themis, and how terrible she felt for being a Shepherd during their little spars at the Garrison.

"She..," Cordelia's eyes widened as realization washed over her face. "Gods, I didn't stop to consider such things. I have been so wrapped up in my own self-guilt that I neglected someone who has always accepted me for who I am..."

Robin shrugged. "I'm pretty sure you know what to do next," The tactician turned and started walking towards the general direction of his tent.

"Sir-"

"Robin is just fine, and you don't need to thank me – consider it as a repayment for saving me." What Cordelia didn't know, was that Robin felt as if he had a similar conversation with her long ago; causing him to feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Well yes, but I was going to point out as to why you're wearing weights."

This caused Robin to freeze on the spot. "... Somehow, I suddenly feel a great amount of pain creeping up my legs.., Frederick!" He continued to walk after that, dragging his feet along the way, hoping to find the Knight in question.

* * *

 **AN: Another small reason why this chapter took longer, was due to the little amount of time I had of course, but also due to how important some of these "Plot" pillars are. They're important and I had to make sure it would hold the weight that will be the upcoming chapters.**

 **The Cordelia portion, I don't enjoy the whole thing about her representing Catria - I prefer having her as more of a Palla representative since that makes more sense to me.**  
 **One last thing, I won't be adding Love Triangles - an exception being Cordelia and Sumia. I hate that type of drama, I find them pointless for the most part, and I'll definitely do a terrible job at writing them. If you guys _'Really'_ want that kind of stuff, giving me a  solid reason as to why and some tips on writing them would be helpful.**

 **Anyways, express how you feel about these decisions via PMs or Reviews! Until next time~!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Bird & The Lost Princess

**Disclaimer: In no way do I claim the Fire Emblem Series as my own, all content goes to their rightful owners.**

 **AN: Still fighting for my original schedule everyone, I won't stop till I achieve that every two-week post! (Barely keeping up with the little amount of free-time that I have left, but sacrificing everything for this story as of late)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Bird And The Lost Princess.**

 _Location: Windmill Town – Eastern Palace._

Only the Shepherds walked on the uphill road, all of them being less talkative than usual. Emmeryn had left that morning, only the Fire Emblem – scared treasure of Ylisse – remained with them, a gift that the Exalt handed over to Chrom; his to protect and safeguard from now on.

Robin walked at the back of the group once again, not only because of the weights for his daily training but to reflect on what he has done. The tactician had to detach himself from his feelings and emotions; to the point of slightly encouraging the Exalt to leave the protection of the Shepherds and head straight to Ylisstol, where she would face off Gangrel's army.

Robin also didn't sleep well that night, memories of Emmeryn falling from the highest point in Plegia ate away at his sanity slowly. "She gets captured.., but why do I have the feeling like this is the right decision." His eyes glanced at the cloudy sky; searching for any type of answer.

Before he could drown in doubt any further, the glimmering shine of someone wearing silver armor blinded his eyes. "Robin," Frederick had approached him while riding his armored steed. "Time to take off your training gear."

"Ah good, I forgot I was wearing them, to be honest," After Frederick handed over the keys, Robin was quick to bend over and take them off.

"That's good news, it means you're improving greatly." He said while Robin stored the weights in the horse's many pouches.

Robin let out a sigh. "I somehow doubt that... I was just busy thinking, and now that I'm grounded once more, I can feel how painfully sore I am with every step."

Frederick chuckled lightly, something that was considered rare. "The air around here will do you good, tactician."

Now that the Stalwart-Knight mentioned it, Robin took in his surroundings. "Windmills are everywhere on these hills, and I noticed how the land is infested with trees and fields of grain."

"Indeed," Frederick took in a deep breath of rich fresh air. "The game around here is also high, ranging from bears to rabbits and deer.., even wolves." He said the last animal with uneasy eyes.

Robin didn't want to intrude, so he let the odd gesture slide. "Seems like you know a lot about this place,"

"Naturally; this is my hometown after all."

Robin's eyes widen in understanding. "Huh, that would make sense. They train knights here, correct?"

Frederick nodded, a bit of pride swelling inside of him. "My household has served the royal family for many generations, all of them have trained with honor in these lands before doing so."

"So that is the reasoning behind your hardworking mentality..." Robin muttered to himself. "Mind if you show me some of these training regimens when we arrive? I overheard that we were staying here for the rest of the day in order to restock on supply."

Almost instantly, Frederick glanced at him with a surprised look – only to be washed down by a joyful smile. "Of course, Robin! You shall witness the glory and pride of this fair land, countless generations working together in perfecting the art of the knights-"

Frederick went on and on about how proud he was about his homeland, Robin couldn't help but smile; walking alongside the now emotionally driven knight in silence. The tactician was doing his wary friend a favor, keeping his mind free of the impending doom, and even if Robin didn't want to admit it, he was also keeping his own mind distracted from the ill memories he has gained as of late.

 _..._

Once the Shepherds arrived into the main plaza of the town, many people that lived there had gathered up to greet them with open arms. Most of them circling Frederick, who was known around these parts as their greatest Knight this generation.

Some of the members had separated from the main group; most of them seeking the residential area that Chrom promised they would be sleeping in for tonight. While others made sure the convoys would be ready to go, namely Cordelia, Miriel, and Robin.

"Robin," Cordelia had just finished moving a box. "Mind counting how many vulneraries we have left."

The tactician did what he was ordered, opening the lid of a secured box that revealed the medicine in question. "A dozen left," He responded.

Miriel took note of this. "Another handful should be enough, considering my calculations on how many members we have."

"Hmm, I wonder how many of them Vaike will need." Robin pondered while holding his chin, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Four," Miriel responded in a monotone voice, causing Robin to chuckle.

Cordelia didn't catch the joke, most likely due to lack of knowledge as to who this Vaike person was. "That many for a single member?"

Miriel let out a loud sigh, rivaling that of even Cordelia's lovestruck ones. "Vaike has the tendency to charge in head first into danger, always going above his limits in order to avoid looking weaker than his peers."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Vaike is a great fighter though, he just tends to get carried away."

"Ah I see," Cordelia continued. "It seems everyone is aware of this, and I imagine, will help protect him on the field."

"Correct!" Robin gave his trademark smile. "Moving as a single unit is what makes the Shepherds a strong group, so complimenting each other weaknesses and strengths is also important, something that I have been picking up on and trying my best to exploit as of late."

Before Cordelia could respond, Miriel spoke up while adjusting her glasses. "Word of advice, Robin; start commanding the troops more."

"Pardon?" Robin raised an eyebrow.

"You tend to use, Chrom, as your voice more often than not, getting us used to your own voice of command will be needed sooner or later."

Needless to say, Robin was slightly taken back from the advice. "That's true.., I just haven't had the moment to risk any hesitation among our ranks." He remembered what Sumia had said about his potential religion. _'There is also that. If I want them to follow my orders just like they do with Chrom's, I need to clear up that misunderstanding.'_

"Well, I for one believe in Robin." Cordelia defended the tactician.

Miriel also gave a short nod of agreement. "If considering the recent events, you have proven your worth to me as well."

"I appreciate it, you two," Robin couldn't help but smile brightly. "And I'll take that advice to heart, Miriel."

The mage nodded and adjusted her glasses once more. "If you'll excuse me, I have matters to tend elsewhere." She left the convoy without another word.

"Commanding the troops more, eh?" Robin repeated the mage's words, leaning against a tall pillar of wooden boxes while holding his chin in deep thought.

"Do you not order them around? I thought that you did, given your role as the tactician and all that." Cordelia moved a bit closer towards him, opting to cross her arms and listen to what he had in mind.

"I mostly set commands on paper and tell Chrom when to move the others, naturally, everyone will trust their prince a lot more, so I guess I need to step up my game a bit in case Chrom isn't there to give out said orders."

"I see," Cordelia glanced outside – noticing a fair number of people walking by – before turning back and giving Robin a warm smile. "Before I forget, I must thank you for what you said yesterday. Sumia and I are on much better terms now, and I feel as if a large weight has been lifted from my shoulders."

Robin rubbed the back of his head modestly. "Oh come on now, I only said what was needed to be said."

"Yes, but what I have learned is that speaking out takes courage; something that you have." Cordelia held out a hand for him to shake, which he took. "For what it's worth, know that any orders you have, I'll follow without any doubts."

They let go after she said that. "Thank you, Cordelia, it is worth a great deal."

A mutual exchange of acceptance was shared between the two, forming a small bridge of friendship that will stand strong for years to come. Before the two could utter another word, the sound of armor clanking interrupted the duo; Frederick entered the convoy and greeted them both.

"Robin, are you still up for the training regimens you had requested?"

The tactician took a step forward and nodded. "Ready to go." He clenched a fist and raised it up slightly, demonstrating his eagerness to learn.

* * *

 _Location: Windmill Town, Training Grounds.  
_

Frederick and Robin walked over to a nearby training field, it was located near the center of the village and had many trees around it with benches underneath their shade, only the sparring ground itself was basked in sunlight.

The much-needed shade was used for spectators; since it was a norm for the villagers to watch their knights train in the public eye, their constant cheering and voices would force the individuals on the field to adapt to the noise and be able to focus during a battle a lot better over time.

Of course, this time was no exception, many of the local residents were present, eager to see their paragon Knight fight and train one of the Shepherds.

After said Stalwart-Knight armed the tactician with a wooden spear, they positioned themselves at opposite ends of the training ground. "Whenever you're ready, Robin!" Frederick shouted from afar, standing tall with his own practice weapon at his side.

Robin tightens the grip on his spear. He wasn't comfortable with the weapon just yet, but it did peek his interest; adding another weapon to his arsenal would prove to be very useful.

"Very well..," Robin focused on the field, it was flat and covered with a layer of gravel. "Here I go!"

Frederick didn't move a muscle as he watched the white-haired tactician dash towards him, the crowd cheered as the battle had commenced, many of them already picking Frederick's side.

Upon reaching striking distance, Robin thrust forward and attempted to force the Great-Knight to move, however, Frederick parried the blow effortlessly. Robin on the other hand, instead of losing his balance, used the momentum in his favor; spinning in place and forcing Frederick to block the horizontal strike.

"Good!" Frederick pushed the tactician back with ease due to the terrain; striking forward and forcing him to retreat. "Maintaining the offensive is key when it comes to the spear!"

Robin grits his teeth and pushed his boundaries, planting his right foot on the ground as he parried Frederick's weapon aside; changing the melody of battle with his own hands as he countered.  
Frederick narrowed his eyes and blocked Robin's thrust by pushing the Tactician's weapon upwards with his own, forcing it to barely miss Frederick's shoulder and allowing the Knight to land a direct blow on Robin's chest.

"Point to me," Frederick announced with a small smile.

The crowd cheered as the two fighters prepared for round two, from afar, Cordelia watched with curious eyes while sitting on a nearby bench. Occasionally she would learn a thing or two from Frederick's movement and instructions that he gave out to Robin, the pegasus knight was distracted enough to not notice a close friend approaching her.

"Hiya Cordelia," Sumia greeted casually while sitting down next to her.

"Ah, Sumia," Cordelia faced her friend and gave the brunette a welcoming smile. "Done with your own routines?"

"Yup! I imagine you're also done, given how you're observing them," Sumia gestured with her eyes, wincing slightly as Robin fell straight on his back due to Frederick's counter, the villagers cheering the victor's name.

Cordelia simply raised an eyebrow at the display. "Robin decided to pick up the lance, even when his skill with the sword is outstanding."

"He did show some interest in the weapon beforehand," Sumia's eyes widen in realization after saying that. "Actually, I remember him being fascinated by it when we fought each other in a friendly sparring match."

"Really?"

"Mhm! Before we left to Themis, we trained, and he easily bested me with the blade..." Sumia pondered for a bit, enough for a cold breeze to sway their hair. "Something feels different about him, actually.., Robin reminds me of that Marth person we fought."

"Marth, the hero-king..?" Cordelia looked at Sumia with confused eyes.

The brunette told her friend with great detail what had happened to the Shepherds during their journey to Regna Ferox, everything about how they defeated a group of Risens, fighting against the Feroxi guards at the Longfort, all the way to how they fought in the Feroxi Tournament.

Cordelia held her chin and nodded, taking in the information like a sponge. "Someone who fights like Chrom, and even wields a replica of the Falchion... That does sound crazy, but why do you feel as if Robin shares the same _aura_..?"

Sumia simply shrugged. "The way they both carry themselves I guess. Both of them seem to have this overwhelming presence as if they know the answers to everything there is; for crying out loud they seem super mysterious on top of all that."

"Sumia, I think you're just letting your mind wander too much."

"I'm serious Cordelia!" Sumia stammered out. "How in the world do they have so much combat experience is also beyond me. I barely held my ground against Robin's swordplay, and Marth was able to predict my _every_ move; as if he has fought me countless times before."

"Some people just naturally are talented; try not to dwell on it too much." Cordelia gave her friend a reassuring smile, fully believing that Sumia was simply making up excuses.

To this, Sumia sighed and decided to give up on the matter; redirecting her gaze in time to see Robin lose once more. However, the clumsy Pegasus Knight noticed that Frederick had a bright smile as he trained the tactician.

"Frederick looks happy," Sumia muttered.

Cordelia noticed it as well once it was pointed it out. "Robin approached him for some training lessons, from what I could tell."

"That explains it," Sumia felt her friend's questioning gaze. "No one usually trains with Frederick willingly, let alone anyone decides to learn the spear from him, due to how intense his lessons are."

Cordelia's gaze held both curiosity and admiration towards Robin upon hearing that. "I have never heard of a tactician who trains in the arts of the field, and in the books of tactics."

"Indeed," Sumia tapped the side of her cheek with a finger. "This is the first time Ylisse has had such a talented tactician in a long time.., at least, that's what-" The brunette decided to cut herself off, lest she wanted to harm Cordelia's feelings.

However, Cordelia noticed this and glanced down at her hands that rested on her laps neatly. "Remember what I told you last night, Sumia?"

"Of course..," Sumia's voice barely being above a whisper.

"Know that I tend to keep my word and move on. There's no need to be gentle with me because whatever happens, I want you to be happy – you're like a sister to me – you deserve to have my full support."

Sumia's eyes soften; almost instantly she gave her best friend a warm embrace. "I feel the same way, Cordelia." At first, Cordelia stiffens but ended up returning the gesture, melting in her friend's warm embrace.

Meanwhile, Frederick and Robin fought on the training ground with energy that rivaled that of thunder strikes. The latter of the two had opted to throw away their coat, weaving and ducking underneath Frederick's attacks with great speed, however, Robin was unable to counterattack or get through Frederick's barrage of attacks.

Almost in an instant, Frederick slammed his right foot down and slammed his shoulder on Robin's chest, causing the tactician to stumble back dumbfounded by the sudden move; with a thrust of the Knight's lance, the match was over.

"Matchpoint," Frederick's announcement led to the crowd cheering. "Lose the next one and this is all over."

Robin let out a sigh and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his hand. "Using the lance is still rather weird to me."

"You'll get used to it," Frederick continued. "But it seems that you have the basics down pretty well – too well in fact."

This caused the tactician to lift an eyebrow. "That didn't sound reassuring... Am I doing something incorrectly?"

"Many things," Frederick pointed at the man's legs. "For example, you tend to move as if wielding a sword, try to relay more on your range instead of being ready to dodge at a moments notice; hold your ground and act like an unmovable fortress."

Robin noted said info, making sure to lock it inside his mental vault as Frederick continued to speak.

"You also may know the basics, but your fighting style in itself, is nowhere that of being unique; as we fought, it felt as if I was fighting the embodiment of an instruction manual brought to life."

"I see..," Robin looked around, just now noticing how many people were observing their match. "In that case, mind sparring with me in the near future?" That will help me adopt a unique fighting style."

Many ongoing spectators had bright smiles on their faces, others were simply cheering and betting between each other, but one particular individual in the crowd caught Robin's observant eyes, it was enough to make the tactician smile.

Robin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking an odd stance by separating his legs wide from each other, knees bent at a ninety-degree angle; positioning his spear across his back diagonally while holding out a palm towards Frederick.

"Oh?" Frederick raised an eyebrow, but decided not to question the tactician's stance, the Knight was rather intrigued with Robin's decision. "This is the final round, Robin; if I win that is."

Suddenly – instead of Robin charging – Frederick was the one to engage without warning; causing the tactician's heart to slightly quiver at the sight of a charging silver-bull.

Frederick positioned his spear forward, he was planning to ram the white-haired Plegian at full speed. "Show me your resolve!" The knight shouted before the distance between them vanished.

Robin steeled himself and took a step forward with his right leg, sending his weapon upfront and blocking Frederick's attack from underneath. At first glance, it would seem that Robin was simply guarding and delaying his inevitable doom, however, that was far from the truth.

"Check," Robin grunted as he took another step forward, his left foot planting itself deep in the gravel after it strides forward.

Frederick's eyes widen as he realized what had happened. _'Robin waited till both my feet were evened out during my charge; stepping forward just in time to force me to stand up straight during the block...'_

The tactician took another step forward, pushing his opponents weapon higher and slowly elevating to his full height as Frederick allowed his feet to slide back, lest he wanted to fall and lose.

Robin smiled, his eyes gleaming as victory was in sight. "Time to end this..!" He pushed Frederick one last time, both their spears above their heads, except Robin, was ready to strike as soon as the Great-Knight stumbled back.

Seizing his only opportunity to win, Robin held his spear above his head with both hands, in preparation to thrust it downwards."Checkma-!" Alarms were set off in the tactician's head as he halted.

Silence consumed the field, no one dared speak as the results were in. "I'm afraid this is my win, young Robin." Frederick teased with an all-knowing grin.

Robin blinked and fully registered the spear-tip that was inches away from hitting him between the eyes. Frederick, upon being pushed back, planted the butt-end of the shaft and held his spear tightly with both hands, effectively allowing the Knight to not fall down while still positioning the spearhead offensively.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Robin backed away and lowered his weapon, fully admitting defeat as Frederick regained proper footing. "And here I thought I would at least have a chance of winning once," Robin's words were soon drowned out by the cheers of the local residents.

Frederick smiled softly upon seeing the defeated tactician, whose eyes were downcast. _'Yes, those observant eyes of his, I see why he fights on the battlefield despite his role – his true potential are due to his eyes – being able to register and calculate anything at a single glance, it's a talent with an unspeakable level of rarity.'_

The stalwart Knight finally understood how Robin functioned. Frederick couldn't help but feel smaller than usual whenever he was under the tactician's gaze during battle, naturally, he would never admit such a thing to anyone, but Robin's eyes gave off an uncomfortable and overwhelming sensation that ate away at anyone's - including Frederick's - composure.

"Perhaps next time you'll win," Frederick continued after sending a small prayer to Naga, Ylisse was lucky to have Robin on their side, The-Wary-Knight knew at least this much. "What you showed me a few seconds ago has left quite the impression."

Robin smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Hopefully you'll keep teaching me then,"

Suddenly, the overwhelming aura Robin wielded during a battle was gone, Frederick noticed. "Of course, you show great potential; such a thing deserves to be polished and tuned."

Both men shook hands and departed from each other, Robin searched the dispersing crowd – while walking over to his coat – trying to find _her_ once more. However, instead of finding who he was originally searching for, Robin spotted two familiar Pegasus Knights waving him over.

* * *

 _Location: Windmill-town, Training Grounds._

The crowd roared as the sparring match ended, a small smile appeared on Lucina's face as she made sure the large brown coat she wore covered any details of her presence. She already knew Robin managed to spot her, despite her best efforts, but decided it was fine to observe until it was over.

 _'Best to leave, before he decides to stop me in my tracks,'_ Lucina made her way through the dispersing crowd. _'I must keep an eye out, these events are unknown to me after all...'_

Ever since entering this world, Lucina was forced to take the lives of others, something she was never fond of doing – it pained her so much – no matter the cause of death, noble or out of self-defense. However, she was so used to the sight of life leaving the world, that it didn't bother her in the slightest during a fight to the death; everything was pure instinct at this point.

Emmeryn was supposed to meet her end back at the castle, anything happening from beyond that change of history is completely unknown to the bluenette. Following the Shepherds and protecting them from a distance was her current goal, even if it meant facing off the Plegian soldiers that ambushed them.

 _Sudden flashes of Plegian soldiers coughing out blood as her sacred blade impaled them invaded her mind. The livid – and recent – images would always haunt her whenever she blinked, it was enough to disrupt her current train of thought._

Exiting her trance, Lucina looked ahead, just noticing how quiet it was. "Seems as if my body unconsciously led me to somewhere secluded." She had managed to wander towards the east-gate of the town and was already exiting the area.

In the distance, beyond the road that was ahead of her, was the castle which Emmeryn was supposed to take shelter in. Soon the Shepherds will ignore said palace and head straight through the north-gate and head towards Regna Ferox.

"Glad I caught up with you," A male voice spoke from behind. "I thought those two would never let me go..."

Lucina didn't bother turning around, she already knew who it was. "The Shepherds, they're departing the next morning, right?"

"Correct," Robin made his way over to the disguised woman, standing next to Lucina while gazing upon the view. "Are you planning to follow us or something?"

"Truth be told, I have no clue what is going to happen next. A major event such as Emmeryn's death being averted is enough to throw history off its original course. Following the Shepherds and keeping Chrom alive is the next big step, while staying with Emmeryn would.., complicate things."

"And by that, you mean not wanting to risk your own life." Robin blunted out, causing Lucina to glance at the man through her mask, the tactician seemed to somehow lock eyes with her despite the accessory.

"... Yes, something akin to that." Lucina finally admitted after breaking eye contact.

The tactician simply shrugged, returning his gaze to the beautiful grassy hills ahead of them. "No need to be ashamed, if you perish, who will be there to help us..." He continued. "Also, didn't you say that it would be impossible to find you during the day?"

"Apologies, I couldn't help but observe your training up close."

Robin's face slightly heats up. "Sorry for such a pathetic performance..."

Lucina didn't respond after he said that, instead, the bluenette seemed to be in a deep trance while wearing a frown.  
An awkward silence filled the air, both of them stood there while staring at the horizon. Robin didn't want to say anything, in fear that Lucina will decide it was time to leave, but he felt that speaking up was the right thing to do.

"Hey," Robin finally spoke out after summing up the courage. "Mind sparring for a bit?"

 _..._

The duo had headed out of town, finding a secluded spot underneath the shade of a tree. They were both exchanging gentle strikes as they practiced with their blades – Robin used a simple iron sword, while Lucina wielded Falchion.

"Sometimes I like to train, in order to distract myself," Robin spoke out, parrying a rather slow horizontal strike.

Lucina – who no longer was wearing her brown coat – simply nodded. "If it wasn't for the fact that I feel the same, your request would have come out as rather odd."

This made the tactician chuckle. "Yeah, I guess it would have, huh..." He blocked a vertical strike and continued. "I just sensed something odd about you and felt like I needed to offer a duel."

"Something odd..?"

"Remember when I said I know you?" After being responded with silence, Robin continued. "You seemed to be stressed out immensely – it was easy for me to tell – specifically because of your tone of voice and how easy it was for you to agree to come here."

This made Lucina halt in her tracks, letting her striking arm fall to her side. Robin mimicked her actions but was also afraid that he had crossed the line once more.

"... Aren't you the observant one," She finally muttered while glancing at the ground. "Tell me, Robin, just how much do you know about me."

What the masked swordswoman didn't know, was that Robin was merely bluffing, he only remembered a few traits and everything else was gut feelings. "I know for a fact that you enjoy shouldering burdens and stubbornly refusing any helping hands along the way, just like someone else I know."

At the mention of being like Chrom, Lucina took a step back and glanced outwards towards the field. "Not a pleasant thing to be remembered by you know."

"If you were in my shoes, you would have probably said the same thing about me – I understand how hard it is to give up – especially since trusting others with my work is nearly impossible for me."

For a few seconds, only the sound of the gentle breeze moving the leaves above their heads could be heard. Lucina reflected on something, or rather, debated on whether she would open up to Robin or not.

In the end, she let out a tired sigh and decided to allow her mouth run loose for now. "The future that has yet to come, I'm not sure if you remember it or not, but it's a dark one; _dead_ is the most common word, while _alive_ is the rarest,"

The tactician didn't interrupt her, but a few memories did start brewing in his head. _'Why is it so easy to picture..?'_ He thought to himself while Lucina kept speaking.

"The sky no longer held any color due to being covered in dark clouds, night and day were almost impossible to tell apart from one another, only the slight change of temperature guided us." She glanced at the precious blue sky. "Even the wildlife had completely gone extinct – and humanity had to rely on what little plants and precious clean water that was left."

Such things would explain Lucina's current malnutrition, although, it was starting to disappear; given how Lucina's skin had a pinkish tone to it now and looked much healthier in general.

"Sounds like a nightmare," Robin muttered out with sadden eyes, a strong feeling of guilt was starting to overwhelm him.

"Hell on earth is the only possible way to describe it; there was nowhere safe in the world, and the remnants of humanity could only protect the last secluded area in vain... The armada of Risens that never ceased to stop was simply too much." Lucina shifted her feet and turned, walking towards the tree and touching it with her slender fingers.

"The fell-dragon, Grima... It caused all of that, didn't it?" Robin spoke out while staring at his sleeves, feeling rather ashamed of wearing his coat in front of the time traveler.

"You remembered..," Lucina continued. "Yes, you're correct."

"Lucina, if you don't mind telling me, what resurrected the dragon in the first place?"

Lucina turned away from the tree and stared at the tactician. "Many factors, the main issue was losing the Fire Emblem during the first war, Plegia had managed to steal and hide it for many years to come after that. Chrom was soon injured during the war with Valm, which further hindered the Shepherds when they discovered where the Fire Emblem has been held."

"The Dragon's table..." Robin's eyes harden after saying that, many dark memories clouded in a haze, invaded his mind rather painfully, a pain he had learned to ignore for now.

"Yes... No one knows what happened after that, for none of the Shepherds who went on that mission returned. So I'm afraid that even I don't know how Chrom and his entire squadron perished, but it was the same day Grima returned to the world with all his might."

The tactician couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that held his heart with a tight grip, but he knew what must be done. "Lucina, know that I will prevent that future from becoming a reality; Grima won't be resurrected and neither will the Shepherds die, I promise it"

She didn't respond after hearing that, rather, Lucina stared at her own two feet for what seemed like together. "Promises..." She suddenly muttered out.

"Pardon?"

"I no longer believe in promises," Despite her mask, Robin could sense a large amount of pain in her eyes.

"Your right," Robin responded with a determined smile. "It won't be a promise. I'll make sure it's the only possible outcome, a world filled with peace and that's liberated from the dragon's grip, that will be the only fate suited for this world."

Upon hearing this, Lucina looked up and stared into Robin's amber eyes, they were filled with confidence and a pinch of pride. "You're exactly like the Robin people described back in my world..."

This made the white-haired tactician tilt his head in curiosity. "I wonder what they said about me..." But Lucina wouldn't answer that question anytime soon.

 _'How kindhearted you were.., how life was precious to you, all of that alongside Chrom's achievements and the Shepherds who bravely fought alongside you both, it encouraged everyone to keep fighting till the very end...'_

The Princess of a lost world had finally come to terms with leaning on someone else, Lucina's trust was in Robin's hands just like the many lives that fought under his command.

* * *

 **AN: I wish it was longer, but I felt as if this would be a very good place to end it for now. A few things have changed in Lucina's future, I hope you guys catch it! (No I didn't forget certain elements or anything, I actually do a ton of research and everything is there on purpose, haha)**

 **Robin's interest in the lance.., hmm, I rather not spoil it for now.**

 **Certain elements of the game will be changed, for example, maybe a few have noticed it by now but the spell _Thunder_ was able to counter _Elfire,_ despite the latter of the two being superior, rank and strength wise. In other words, the triangle advantage will apply to magic in this story as well.**  
 **Next chapter will most likely be longer, I might squeeze the actual in-game chapter next, or if you guys want; a filler chapter can be made instead and further increase supports and character interactions, again, either one is fine by me and you guys have the liberty to pick if you wish.**


	11. Chapter 11: Crimson Snow

**Disclaimer: In no way do I claim to own the Fire Emblem Series, all content goes to their rightful owner!**

 **Let us get right into the story, the AN awaits at the end.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Crimson Snow.**

 _Location: Windmill Town, An Hour before The March._

The sound of knocking echoed through Robin's room, causing the tactician to bolt out of bed. "A-Are we under attack..?" He gasped out as he dashed over to the door.

Electricity danced around his left hand while he revealed whoever was on the other side. "Oho! Fantastic reactions, young Robin."

Robin's magic illuminated the hallway, revealing Frederick in a rather odd outfit as he jogged in place right in front of him. "Frederick? Why are you here at such hours, it's still pitch black out there!"

"I was planning on going for a morning jog, before the long march ahead of us, and I thought you would love to join due to wanting to follow our regimens," Frederick said with a smile – still running in place – while pointing with a thumb at his chest.

Upon being greeted with such a gesture, Robin finally took in what Frederick was wearing. A blue sweatsuit with white lines going down the sides was the first thing the tactician noticed; then the badge that decorated the knight's chest.

"Why is Chrom's face a crest?" Robin pointed out with a dumbfounded face.

"Milord has the talent of boosting anyone's morale, so naturally during-" As Frederick spoke passionately, Robin simply decided to ignore the Knight and head over to his bed in order to get his boots.

After Robin was set, he went back to the door. "Alright, I'm ready then," He told the knight, who nodded and turned to leave.

Robin walked out the room – closing the door behind him quietly – and followed Frederick towards the nearest exit.

"Robin, we'll start light by running downhill, and then we'll pick up the pace by using many obstacles that nature blesses us with! For example, swimming in the nearby lake and taking laps around it is an amazing way to train your entire body."

"... You're kidding me right?" Robin muttered as he watched the Knight sprint off. "Of course he isn't, why would he, Robin? Ugh, I'm starting to really regret all of this.., but I must pull through, for the sake of everyone's lives." And with that, the white-haired tactician chased after Frederick with all of his resolves.

Running through the village this early had its perks, the cold morning breeze and the sound of birds starting to chirp before sunrise filled the air as he ran down the empty streets.  
To be quite honest, the motion was enough to let Robin's mind wander in a healthy matter, it allowed him to think on a single subject – Lucina's world.

Yesterday when the two of them relaxed under the shade of a tree, Lucina had opened up to the tactician more than he was expecting her to, she explained how dark the future she came from was and it was because of one single deity – no, not a deity, a monster.

The name _Grima_ left a bitter taste in his mouth; very few of his memories would come back at the mention of a single word, and this was one of those rare occasions.  
Robin fully remembered now that Grima was worshiped by the Grimleal, who were mostly located in Plegia, and how Plegia's castle was built on top of the dragon's skeleton when it was put into a deep slumber by the first Exalt.

Not only that, but a certain vision kept obscuring his mind every time it was allowed to wander on this very topic. _'Emmeryn's execution.., it will be hosted at Plegia's castle, and she'll jump off willingly from the highest point in all of Plegia.'_

Before the tactician could continue staying in his deep trance, Frederick's voice called out to him. "Best be careful with the bumps on the road!"

Robin noticed that they had left the town and were on the western road, the same one the Shepherds took to get here. Suddenly, Frederick took a sharp turn and dashed into the nearby woods, Robin followed suit without complaints.

"Frederick," He gasped out. "Where are we heading?"

Said Stalwart-Knight slowed down, allowing the white-haired man to run next to him. "To the nearby lake I was talking about earlier," Frederick showed no signs of fatigued; speaking clearly and without being short out of breath was enough to make Robin feel envious.

"Very well, lead the way." Upon hearing Robin's resolve, Frederick nodded and picked up the pace, the man was extremely fast on his feet while not wearing his armor.

However, that wasn't the only observation Robin made, his own two feet also felt very light and moved with ease as they dashed down the forest trail. Those weights Frederick had trained him with during the last two days most likely had something to do with Robin's newly attained endurance, but he also suspected that the fresh rich air surrounding them was also a good enough reason.

Soon, the duo reached a clearing, revealing a vast lake ahead of them as the sun was starting to rise above the horizon.

"Whoa..." Robin gasped as he slowed down to a halt – Frederick did the same – both of them standing tall as they took in the beautiful sight.

"It has been years since I last saw this view," Frederick stated with a hint of longing in his voice.

"Such a view is rather refreshing," Robin continued with a bright smile. "I think I understand now..."

Frederick eyed the tactician after hearing this. "May I ask what you understood from all of this?"

"Hmm?" Robin now realized that what he said wasn't meant for the ears of others, but nevertheless, he needed to come up with a lie now. "This place, I can sense how much it's important to you; how you draw power from the memories you forged here."

In reality, what Robin understood was how precious this world was to Lucina, someone who has lived in a world that lost all of its beauty would be the only person who would understand how precious all of this is.

However, the tactician's lie was enough to satisfy the Knight, who let out a sound of contempt as he nodded. "Yes, but Robin, our training hasn't ended!"

"It hasn't? Man, I'm already pretty exhausted Fredrick." As to further prove his point, Robin rolled his shoulders, causing them to pop.

Frederick simply chuckled and started to walk back – away from the lake – while taking off his shirt.., and pants.

Robin stared with a bemused expression, Frederick was now in a runner's position while only wearing blue undergarments with the mark of the Exalt decorating it. "For Ylisse!" The knight suddenly shouted and dashed forward at full speed, bending his knees after running pass Robin and reaching the shoreline.

Somehow, Robin felt the sheer power behind's Frederick mighty jump – watching in awe as Frederick curl into a ball while spinning mid-air – he expanded himself at the height of his jump, it was as if watching an angel descending from the heavens – even the sunlight made the Knight's body glitter – only to end with a graceful dive into the lake down below.

The ripples of the water traveled across the lake as the Knight had yet to resurface. "What in Naga's name did I just witness..?" Robin muttered to himself as he noticed bubbles of air appearing at the center of the large body of water.

Without delay, Frederick resurfaced and swiped the water off his face with a hand before waving at Robin. "Hurry, young Robin! We must swim to the other side and run around the entire lake, then run back to town at full speed!"

With a loud sigh, Robin started taking off his shirt and boots. "At the rate, we're going, I'm going to die before we even fight Plegia."

 ** _..._**

Chrom made his way outside in order to prepare for the march ahead of them; locating the convoys was first on his agenda.

"I wonder if Frederick is already up and running," The prince muttered as he approached the mobile storage carts. "Frederick?"

After being greeted with silence, Chrom tilted his head and checked inside the convoy itself – empty. "Odd, I haven't seen the Knight anywhere this morning either, usually he makes his presence clear."

"Good morning, Captain." Only one person would greet him in such a way.

Chrom turned and greeted the Pegasus Knight with a smile. "Ah, morning Sumia,"

Sumia's smile disappeared, and her face branded that of curiosity as she glanced behind the prince. "The convoys haven't been moved?"

"Frederick usually does it, but it seems like he suddenly vanished this morning..." Chrom paused for a bit and glanced around. "I haven't been able to locate him."

Sumia nodded and held a chin, until her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly while slamming her fist – thumb upside up – onto her palm; as if an amazing idea surfaced out of nowhere. "Let me go get Cordelia, and we'll get things sort out in no time!"

Before Chrom could question or attempt to stop the Pegasus Knight; Sumia turned and took a couple of rushed steps forward before tripping over nothing, slamming face first into the ground with a loud thud.

Chrom couldn't help but wince at such a sight, but quickly voiced out his concerns. "Sumia, are you alright!?"

"I-I'm okay!" Sumia didn't turn to look at the prince – her face heating up in shame – but held out a palm towards him, signaling to not come near as she stood up in a hurry and dashed off.

"Well, that sure was an interesting display..." Chrom let himself smile, but after a few seconds of silence, a few memories started haunting the prince once more.

Such thoughts were enough for the Prince of Ylisse to stare at the sky and wonder how her elder sister was doing. Another thing that obscured his thoughts were how much he regretted bursting out on Robin.

 _'An apology is a must, Robin was simply doing his job as tactician to point out the best way to avoid needless deaths and win the war... Gods, I just wish there was another way.'_ Chrom soon noticed two figures in the distance, they were approaching the convoy site at a decent pace – or at least, one of them was.

"Milord!" Frederick reported back while still jogging in place once he reached Chrom. "Apologies for the delay, I shall attend to the convoy once I change into my armor."

Chrom stared with widening eyes – mostly due to the blue outfit Frederick wore – and watched the Stalwart Knight run off towards the residential area without breaking a sweat.

"W-What a monster..." Robin wheezed out, gaining the attention of a now concerned prince. "The man didn't even look tired!"

"I would ask if you're alright, but the answer is more than clear..," Chrom observed how Robin grabbed his knees and gasped desperately for air, the tactician was soaked and looked pale.

Robin simply glanced up weakly. "I'm going to go change before I catch a cold..." With a grunt, Robin forced himself to keep walking over to his destination.

"Robin wait," Chrom called out, but once Robin glanced over his shoulder with a confused expression, the words in Chrom's throat died down. "I uh.., just wanted to say that you should hurry since we're moving out soon."

"Ah, alright – I'll be back before you know it," Robin reassured with a small grin before leaving.

"Right..." Chrom's pride just didn't let him apologize to the man just yet.

"Captain!" Sumia's voice interrupted his thoughts, she had arrived alongside Cordelia – both of them in their armor and ready to move out. "Cordelia and I will get the convoys ready while Frederick is gone."

"Thank you both, it will save us some much needed time,"

Sumia wore a bright smile. "It's the least we can do, especially since everyone is working so hard."

"Yes, and I'm glad to have such capable allies," Chrom responded.

Before the two could continue their conversation, Cordelia started pushing Sumia forward. "Yes, yes, let's go now, we have work to do." The red-haired knight said with a smirk.

"C-Cordelia!" Sumia pouted as her friend lead her to the convoys.

Chrom raised an eyebrow but thought nothing of it. "Guess I'll rally the troops."

* * *

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Eastern Main Road._

After a long tiring march, the Shepherds were already on the road that would lead to the current Khan's throne. Many of them already complaining about the bone-chilling cold that Regna Ferox was famous for, especially Robin, who held their coat wrapped tightly around themselves.

"Curse these damn forsaken temperatures," He muttered while shivering.

Many of the members were walking in a group at the center, between two wagons, while only Frederick, Chrom, and the occasional scouting units were at the front.  
At the very least, this gave them shelter against the icy winds, and their body heat was also something that would provide them much needed warmth during their travels.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long till Lissa started complaining out loud. "Ah! I can't take this anymore, I feel as if my nose is going to fall off!"

With this, many of the Shepherds chuckled, but otherwise agreed with the young Princess. "Ha! You should learn from Vaike," Said axe-wielder pointed at his chest just like last time. "My burning heart is enough-"

"Yes, yes, we know Vaike," Lissa responded with a monotone expression. "Your heart burns like the sun, fighting away the cold without any issues."

"H-Hey, the Vaike doesn't appreciate it when he's interrupted!"

Once more, everyone laughed, and for a few seconds, the cold was irreverent – until a breeze blew by and caused them to shiver.

"You Ylisseans can't handle anything if this is enough to cause complaints," Lon'qu spoke out with closed eyes and a smirk, walking freely through the cold as if it was non-existent.

Lissa pouted, and started brewing up a few choice words – Robin thankfully steps in. "I am rather impressed with Regna Ferox, her warriors and their endurance to the cold is astonishing, but I wonder if the same can be said when facing the heat of a desert."

To this, Lon'qu opened his eyes and narrowed them, glaring at the tactician. "What are you implying?"

"Oh nothing, just that the battlefield will be mostly on Plegia's territory, so I'm afraid most of the Feroxi troops will have some issues when it comes to adjusting."

"As if something so minor will get in our way," Lon'qu scoffed at such a claim, no longer staring at Robin but instead at the road ahead of them. "Our strength is enough to best any obstacle that comes in our way."

Robin nodded with his all-knowing smile. _'The endurance that the Feroxi warriors have is outstanding, no doubt we will need their help, but I'm pretty sure Plegia has the upper hand when it comes to fighting in the harsh weather of a desert.'_

" _Help!"_ The desperate call made everyone stop in their tracks. "Please, someone help!"

Once again, the cry for help caused all the Shepherds to stare at the general direction where the voice came from. A villager came running out of the woods nearby, they were heading straight for the front of the group, where Chrom most likely stood.

Robin instinctively sped walk towards the commotion, barely managing to arrive at the explanation of the situation. "B-Bandits are attacking our village, please you must-" The villager winched in pain, swaying left and right; as if he was almost about to pass out.

Chrom noticed the wound, and so did the others who listened in on the conversation. "Lissa!" Chrom shouted with an urgent tone after seeing that the villager had an arrow sticking out of their back. "Frederick, go and spread the word, we're going to save this village before moving forward."

Upon hearing this, the wounded villager gave out a weak smile. "Thank you so much... Kind heroes." Before the prince could reply, the injured man stumbled forward – Robin dashed forward and caught him just in time.

"Close one, that fall could have injured him further," Robin lowered the unconscious man to the ground.

"Oh no," Lissa gasped out. "Someone, carry him into a convoy, we need to maintain his body heat!"

Armor clanking was heard, Kellam had volunteered to carry the villager to safety. Although some of the Shepherds were a bit freaked out by the whole _'floating'_ villager thing, until Panne explained that it was simply a _'man-spawn'_ inside a large suit of armor.

"Robin," Chrom approached his tactician. "Any ideas?"

"We have to locate the village," Robin continued with a serious tone. "However, we can't just send our fliers to scout ahead, given how the victim was shot by an arrow, we'll have to advance via horseback and arrive at the village before it's too late."

Chrom nodded as he registered the plan. "I agree. Very well, we'll bring our cavaliers and Pegasus Knights,"

Everyone essential to the plan – except for Frederick who was currently busy – heard this plan and nodded. "Prince Chrom," Cordelia spoke up. "Might I advise that we bring along some spare shields?"

Chrom looked at Robin, who nodded in agreement and voice it out. "Yes, that would be a very good idea," Robin continued. "That will give us an edge over our foes."

Unlike Plegia, who was highly known for its magic when it came to range attacks, Regna Ferox and their warriors were known for perfecting the art of bows, throwing axes, and to an extent, the javelin. There was no doubt that the bandits around these parts would also be able to do the same.

The sound of a horse galloping towards them alerted their attention. "The troops are ready, Milord!" Frederick reported back.

Chrom took a step forward, fully intending to lead the charge as usual. "Good, Sumia and I will lead the way,"

Upon hearing her name, Sumia felt her stomach starting to do somersaults. "Are you sure, Captain?"

"Of course I am," Chrom turned to face the brunette, who was stationed behind him. "Have you forgotten how much we accomplished together?"

This was enough to make Sumia blush. "O-Of course not..."

Robin simply rolled his eyes. "Anyways, Chrom and Sumia will be a pair, followed by Lon'qu and Cordelia," Robin paused, awaiting any complaints, none were spoken. "Frederick, Sully, Stahl and I, will be the vanguards; we'll move out once I instruct everyone else to guard the road if we decide to split up... Plus I need to convince Lon'qu to pair up with Cordelia." He whispered the latter to himself.

The lead fighters watched their tactician leave, he barked out orders and started moving the Shepherds as a single unit.

Stahl chuckled, causing a few eyes to glance his way. "Robin's voice of command is rather admirable,"

"He's a remarkable fighter as well." Cordelia quickly added.

"He better be!" Sully continued with a shout. "No way in hell was I going to follow some wimps orders."

Chrom chuckled. "A tactician worthy for the Shepherds," He smiled bitterly after saying that. "Yet another reason why I must speak with him..."

"Captain?" Sumia noticed the sudden shift of tone in his voice, she searched for his eyes, but the prince found the ground more interesting.

"Unhand me!" Lon'qu's voice scattered any further thoughts from the bluenette.

Robin was dragging a red-faced Feroxi, the latter had his heels planted in the ground as he was being pulled by the tactician. "Absolutely not, you're important for this mission! You're pairing up with Cordelia, phobia or not!"

Everyone stared at the scene with straight faces; Cordelia was an exception. "Phobia?" Unfortunately, her question went unanswered as Lon'qu was already near her.

Not knowing what to do, the crimson-haired pegasus knight held out a hand so Lon'qu could get on. "Tsk' I prefer if you didn't help me..." Lon'qu muttered as he faced the other direction.

Cordelia tilted her head, but withdraw her hand anyways, watching the man get on the mount with a single jump and avoiding any physical contact with her.

"Alright," Robin continued. "I instructed the others to follow us slowly, we'll continue down this road until the village is somewhat in view before dividing our group, as for now, I'll ride with Stahl and command him and Sully the most."

Chrom walked over to Sumia, who helped him get on her trusty steed. "Let us move out then," The prince announced once he was properly on.

With their Captain's command, the Shepherds moved forward once more with caution, the sound of wooden wheels on the stone road filled the air; even the wind ceased and gave off an eerie feeling as they moved.

Soon enough, they arrived at a split road, the right side kept going through the woods, while the left side led to a wooden bridge that sat above a small frozen river.

Chrom raised a fist – signaling everyone to halt – and called Stahl and Robin over. "Something wrong, Chrom?" The latter of the pair asked once they rode up next to the Prince.

"Follow the direction of my finger, beyond the bridge and between the two pine trees, you can barely see what looks like stone walls."

Robin did as he was told, and sure enough, the walls were in view. "Without a doubt, that is the village," Robin confirmed.

"Now would be the ideal time to split up our forces," Chrom paused and waited for Robin to agree, which the tactician did. "Everyone who isn't in the leading group will stay behind and guard this bridge!"

Robin followed up Chrom's orders. "Don't let anyone through, we'll send someone back once the coast is clear so that everyone can advance!"

The Shepherds roared in agreement, and it wasn't long till Chrom and Sumia charged forward at blistering speeds, followed by Frederick and Cordelia, who tailed them like shadows.

Stahl and Sully awaited their tactician's orders. "Hmm.., follow them for now as well, but don't gain on them unless they slow down, just in case an ambush occurs."

Everything was a blur once those words escaped his mouth - the rushing wind numbing his face due to the harsh cold - only the road ahead of them could be seen with detail.

Chrom's charge was just up ahead, but it seemed as if they were slowing down, it was enough to cause Robin to worry. "Chrom!" Robin shouted as they covered the distance between them at an alarming rate.

The two pairs were now riding next to each other. "Robin, up ahead, brigands surround the village." The prince shouted above the rushing wind.

In an instant, the tactician's eyes scanned the field, in just mere seconds Robin was able to determine the number of foes in their way. "Eleven bandits are in view, however, I also see someone guarding the village's entrance."

A lone red-haired woman was standing in front of the gates, she wielded a Killer-Edge sword and held her ground in front of the group of outlaws. Such a sight was enough to cause everyone's heart to drop, for their job was always protecting others and preventing any harm aim towards their herd of sheep.

"Intercept them!" Chrom shouted, unsheathing Falchion and holding it high, signaling the attack.

One of the bandits heard the Shepherds approaching, they quickly alerted the others without a skip of a beat, causing the majority of the bandits to redirect their weapons toward them.  
Fortunately, Frederick was nimble enough to break through the ranks of the enemy - causing discord to fall among the bandits - successfully allowing the Shepherds to pierce through and position themselves between the outlaws and the village.

Robin pointed at the women who held her hair in a ponytail. "Drop me off next to her, Stahl." The knight followed his orders and slowed down his steed in order to let Robin dismount gracefully.

"Oh my, rescuers at such a dire hour? How convenient." She said as Robin approached her.

"Allow me to introduce myself," He continued. "My name is Robin, tactician of the Ylissean Shepherds. We heard that this village was in danger, and so we decided to prevent such a thing."

"Well then, that is mighty kind of ya, the name is Anna!" She held out a hand, which Robin kindly shook.

Anna was around his height, only shorter by a few inches, and wore an outfit that bore the bright colors of red and yellow – the latter being less prominent – while also sporting a red cape.

 _'She is wearing the trickster's outfit...'_ He shoved the thought aside for now. "Mind explaining why this place is being targeted?" Robin cut to the chase, for time, wasn't on their side. Even as they spoke, Robin was constantly glancing at the battlefield and making sure things were still in their favor.

Anna pondered for a bit, placing her index finger on her chin. "A group of merchants went by without paying the post these bandits had set up at the bridge, these here outlaws force people to pay up a huge sum if they wish to travel on the road, and since this route is used by many who live by trading and selling.., well you get the gist of it."

"I see," Robin pulled out his iron sword and turned to fully face the enemies. "We shall handle this, Anna, stand back and protect the entrance."

He didn't look back to see if she agreed, it wouldn't matter anyway; Robin was already walking toward the enemy and had no intentions of letting them through. Chrom and Lon'qu were on foot now, dueling with other sword users that managed to get by the Cavaliers.

Narrowing his eyes, Robin spotted a ruffian who was getting too close to the prince. "Chrom, behind you!" Robin's warning was enough to let Chrom instinctively push his former opponent and turned around, successfully engaging with the newcomer.

"Cover me!" Chrom shouted to Lon'qu, who also kicked his opponent aside, engaging with the bandit that Chrom set aside.

Robin took two steps forward while muttering ancient words under his frosty breath. "Thunder!" Robin's spell nailed the enemy that Lon'qu was forced to abandon.

All three of them finished off their foes and readied themselves. "Only a couple of them are left-" Robin cut himself off as alarm bells rang in his head.

He turned to the side, a flash was seen - everything went by in slow motion as Robin conjured a spell in his mind - an arrow was heading straight for Chrom and he had to do something quick. "Elwind- Gah!" His shouts of pain caused the others to glance his way, realization hitting their faces with a wave of emotions.

The arrow had been redirected slightly by Robin's magic, however, it was a second too late when it came to deflecting it completely, for the arrow had planted itself in Robin's right arm, which was his backup plan.

Chrom was the first to speak. "Robin are you-!?"

"Move!" Chrom was pushed to the side by the tactician, an arrow whistling pass their heads.

Frederick was the first to position his armored steed in front of the infantry Shepherds, holding his fairly large shield towards the forest. "Milord," Said Knight held out a hand for the prince, who hoisted himself onto the mount.

Behind these two who were about to leave, Stahl was doing the same for Lon'qu, and the Pegasus Knights were already retreating towards the village. Sully, in turn, went over to Robin and helped him get on, no words were spoken as the Shepherds performed a tactical retreat.

They regrouped with the newly obtained cover of the village walls; Anna had also joined up with them and had a look of concern upon seeing Robin's wound.

"They are retreating into the forest, Captain." Sumia – dismounted – reported back from where she stood, keeping her head low as she was on the lookout.

On the other hand, Robin winched as he moved his injured arm for a more comfortable position once he sat down against the wall. "Looks like they got me good,"

Cordelia jumped off her pegasus and retrieved from a bag what looked to be bandages and a vulnerary. "Let me tend to those wounds in the meantime,"

"At least we restocked on those vulneraries, now am kinda grateful for the extra handful we carry due to Vaike."

"Now isn't the time to jest, Robin." Cordelia glared at him, but her eyes held some concern. "Here, hold out your arm for me."

While the knight healed him, he decided to reflect on what they knew about their foes. "I believe they left, but I'm pretty sure they'll come back sooner or later," Robin continued. "Sumia said they ran into the woods, so I'm willing to bet that their base of operations is in that general direction – ow!"

"Sorry about that," Cordelia said with a smirk but stood back up. "I'm done healing your arm at least."

As to test out if her statement was true or not, Robin moved the arm in question and noticed that it was still somewhat sore, but the wound had been patched up perfectly. "Thank you, Cordelia." He said this, despite knowing that the sudden shock of pain was her way of getting revenge for those sparring matches.

"Greeting travelers!" A villager approached the wary group. "We heard the commotion outside, and saw how brave everyone was in defending this merry village of ours.., such kindness warms the heart, even in this harsh cold."

Chrom moved to converse with the man. "Please, no need to thank us, we're glad to help in any way possible."

Robin tuned out the voices as he lost himself in thoughts. _'Maybe if we locate them via air..? No, that would be far too dangerous, and our cavalier would be at a disadvantage if they travel through the dense woods... Who would be nimble enough on foot so we can scout them out...?'_ Suddenly, Robin stood up as his face lighten up in realization.

"Chrom, we need to reunite with the main group, I have an idea as to how we can get rid of this bandit problem."

* * *

A small group, consisting of four Shepherds, wandered through the woods alone. Their names were as follow, Gaius, Lon'qu, Kellam, and Robin. The latter of the group had deemed that these members would be enough to sneak into the enemy base and locate them without being caught.

For now, they were separated by a few feet from each other, which meant that Gaius couldn't see Robin - since they were at opposite ends. All of them walked through the thick snow at a steady pace, their senses on alert and ready to announce the enemy's presence at a moments notice.

After moving around a tree, Robin noticed a tent in the distance. "Kellam," He whispered to the man nearest to him.

"I see it now," The armored man – who was on this mission due to being invisible in plain sight – reported to Lon'qu, who in turn informed Gaius, the individual who would run back to the others and bring them here.

"I'll move up a bit closer, Lon'qu, Kellam, go ahead and retreat as well," Was all the tactician said as he crouch-walks to a nearby bush.

Luckily for Robin, two bandits were standing in earshot, and it so happens that they were having an interesting conversation. "Say, they injured a number of us, but why are Knights walking through here?" A Ruffian asked an Archer.

"Don't know, but the bosses want their heads, and told us to raid the village clean."

"Tsk' that won't end well for us," Responded the Ruffian. "I saw one of those dastards almost stop an arrow with magic."

Robin allowed himself to smile, his technique wasn't common yet, from what he could tell from the expression of others. The skill _Aegis_ was one of the few memories that stuck with him, and so did _Pavise,_ but the latter of the two was still rusty, it was barely able to take on Frederick's charge attack during their spar.

"Guess they really are the real deal," The Archer responded. "Maybe we should just run."

"You're kidding, right? Victor would surely kill us if we did such a thing."

"Well if Victor doesn't kill us, those Knights surely will."

Robin registered the name in his mind. _'Must be the name of their leader... And it seems like a few of the bandits are held here against their will.'_ With that information, Robin knew that taking out their commander was the main goal now.

"You two!" A voice boomed through the frigid air. "May I ask why you're both standing there while your dear comrades are fighting these knights?"

"V-Victor, we were just about to leave actually," The Ruffian stammered out. "I was just informing my ally here what we are up against."

"Ah I see, well darlings," Victor's way of speaking was rather unique, which caused Robin to spy through the bushes. "Get going before I have your heads on a silver platter."

Both of Victor's troops nodded fearfully and ran like the wind as their leader chuckled to himself.

 _'Seems like Victor is alone now, it would be wise to take him out here and now.'_ Robin mustered up his courage to stand up straight, revealing his presence to the man before him.

"Oh?" Victor who was around Kellam's height – the tallest Shepherd – stared at him with a cocked eyebrow. "And who might you be?"

"Robin, tactician of these knights that are preventing your band of bandits from invading this village." Robin walked into the clearing that Victor stood in, a few tents were in full view a fair distance away, but they were vacant.

Victor smiled with closed eyes, however, Robin could sense a rather menacing aura emitting from the man. Just like Vaike, this man showed his muscles to the entire world, only two large skulls as armor decorated his shoulders.  
His choice of weapon was also another problem, a man of that size would be able to swing that Silver-Axe strap on his back with deadly precision, any other redeeming feature about him would be his neatly cut hairstyle that almost left him bald.

"My, my, those observant eyes of yours; surely you know it's rude to stare, I know I am handsome and all that but-"

Robin simply narrowed his eyes and unsheathed his weapon. "Sorry, you're not my cup of tea."

"You do realize you have no chance against me?" The Berserker held the handle of his axe. "For I was born a Victor, and victory shall be mine!"

With a pull, Robin's foe took out his weapon and held it with ease in a single hand, Victor charged forward with nimble feet, faster than what the Tactician was expecting. Before Victor could strike him down from where he stood, Robin dodged to the side, watching with uncertain eyes how the ground where he once stood was split open by the man's sheer power.

In a blink of an eye, Robin saw the man twist his axe – while it was still buried in the ground – slightly to the side. "Dodge this!" Victor had swung the weapon in an arc, narrowly missing the White-haired man's head as he parried it with his iron sword.

However, this action didn't come without a consequence, for Robin's blade was sent flying due to his diminished strength caused by the recent arrow wound.

 _'Need to retaliate..!'_ Robin lowered his entire body and went for a low sweep, however, to his horror, Victor stood his ground with ease and smiled back at the tactician's pitiful attempt of knocking him down.

The bandit's leader took advantage of Robin's lowered position and kicked him straight in the head, forcing the tactician to stand up due to the force and causing him to stumble back.

"Looks like you're wide open!" Victor prepared to swing his axe as Robin was still dazed from the blow.

Instincts started moving Robin before it was too late – his hand aiming at the ground at an angel – green symbols appeared around his right limb. "Wind!" Due to the close quarter impact of the spell, the snow on the ground was shot straight into Victor's face with enough force to stagger the Berserker.

Robin kept moving back, away from the now blinded Berserker. "C'mon Robin, keep your wits about, this man is from Feroxi, he's sturdy as a rock..." He muttered to himself.

"So you're going to play dirty, huh?" Victor's voice had a tone that sent chills down Robin's spine.

 _'Wait... No, this feeling is..!?'_ Robin recognized his intuition and dodged to the side as an Axe narrowly missed his heart.

With a war cry, Victor had already started moving, grabbing Robin by the lapels of his coat before he could move again, the Berserker proceeded to slam the tactician down onto the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of him.

Taking full advantage of this situation, Victor threw out a punch - Robin instinctively looked to the side - and nailed Robin right in the jaw. Robin planted both his feet on his foe's chest and pushed up, successfully getting the Berserker off and behind him.

 _'Get up Robin-!'_ A sheering pain coursed through his spine as soon as he attempted moving, Robin could only grit his teeth in agony as he restrained himself to not move.

"Something the matter, little sheep?" Victor spat out as he slowly walked over to his axe, then over to Robin, fully aware of the tactician's internal injury at this point. "No matter, I'll put you to rest real soon."

"As if I'll allow you..." Robin growled back, raising a palm and conjuring a spell. _'Elwind!'_

He internally screamed for the spell to activate, the spell manifested itself and the recoil made Robin slide around the snow, while Victor – who was forced to dodge out of the way – was almost killed by the razor-sharp blades of wind.

"Aren't you an annoying one." Victor narrowed his eyes, his smile had disappeared, and the man looked fairly angry.

Robin prepared another spell, but the Berserker charged forward at bolting speeds. _'I-I won't make it in time,'_ His concentration was thrown off and the spell failed to activate, as a last-ditch effort, Robin closed his eyes and put his arms in front of him; fully prepared to sacrifice his arms if needed.

"Don't touch him!" A feminine voice shouted as steel clashed with steel.

Robin reopens his eyes, his vision was covered by the color blue. "L-Lucina..."

Lucina kicked the Berserker away and the man did retreat out of caution. "You will not harm him any further!" She shouted while standing protectively in front of the crippled tactician, Falchion glittering under the sun as if agreeing with its wielder.

Victor stared at the newcomer. "Of course someone gets in my way, yet again." The man took in a deep breath before charging forward, raising the axe above his head before striking it down, however, his target was already gone and he had only hit the ground. "W-What!?"

"Not today, not ever." Lucina lunged from the side and landed a clean blow on his ribs.

Blood was spilled onto the snow, Victor stumbled back, hand covering his wound with widen eyes. "H-How..? I didn't see you move..."

Lucina ignored the question and jumped back in front of Robin, making sure to protect him once more from any danger. "Can you stand, Robin?"

The tactician attempted to do so, but he quickly halted his movements once the harsh pain returned. "I'm a-afraid not." Lucina glanced over her shoulder, and it was easy for Robin to tell how concern she was for his health.

Uneven footsteps drew both their attention. "How dare you.., hurt the great Victor."

"Stand down, and I shall spare your life if you do so," Lucina warned the Berserker.

Sadly, this angered the man further. "Don't look down on me!" The Berserker responded in pure rage as he pulled his arm back; preparing to throw his axe at Lucina, and unknowingly to him, Victor was indirectly aiming at Robin as well.

Lucina's mind was sent into overdrive, she knew that at an angle like that would get the tactician killed, and blocking the axe would risk her own life – something she couldn't afford just yet.

 _Memories of conversing with Robin under the shade of a tree lingered in her mind... For once, Lucina had felt safe in a long time during the time they spent together._

"Lucina, move!" Robin's commanding voice rang in her head, but her body didn't follow, she refused to witness another precious life leave this world.

The time-traveling bluenette steeled herself, positioning Falchion diagonally across her frame, holding it firmly with one hand at the flat of the blade and the other one at the handle. Victor let loose his weapon with a mighty throw, and Lucina locked eyes with its trajectory, without even flinching, the swordswoman held Falchion in its way.

 _Everything froze in Robin's eyes, memories flashed through his mind._

 _He saw the Shepherds standing before him – they weren't in Regna Ferox – countless Grimleals charged at them from every direction. At the corner of his eyes, he saw a General pulling the same technique Victor pulled off, but Robin didn't move._

 _Tears flooded his eyes as he saw a blue blur take the blow for him, the next few scenes were about Robin holding a mortally wounded Lucina in his arms._

 _The words she said would stick with him forever. "... Forgive me, for ever doubting you... Promise me, you'll win..." The persisting strong winds blew her cobalt hair, but along with it, carried her last breath and left nothing but a husk._

In an instant, Robin was grounded once more to reality as a loud screech pierced the everlasting silence that threatened to grip the tactician's heart. "As if I'll let you take the hit!" Lucina shouted as she resumed her defensive stance while Victor charged at her without his weapon.

Before the masked woman could strike the Berserker down for the foolish approach, he used his shoulder guards to block Falchion and readied his fist. Lucina leaned back fully, until she was able to handstand and kick Victor's chin right when he missed his punch; following her own momentum, Lucina was able to stand on her own two feet at a safe distance away.

This sole opportunity to win snapped Robin into action, words forming in his mind as electricity danced around his fingers at his command. "Lucina!"

Lucina glanced back and noticed what he was doing, she wasted no time in jumping to the side, disappearing from Robin's line of sight. "Thunder!" The spell was flung at an alarming speed, Victor barely dodged the spell, rolling to the side and landing on a knee.

"Heh, as if that-" The sound of flesh being torn was heard.

"Forgive me." Lucina's voice whispered softly into the Berserker's ears, as his body slowly registered the blade that pierced through his body.

Victor's eyes stared at the forest, his eyesight was darkening as the blood loss from his previous injury was taking its toll. "I... I see an open field, B-Brother..." Victor coughed up blood before continuing. "Such beautiful flowers..."

His last words didn't go unnoticed, for Lucina pulled out Falchion and took several steps back while staring at the corpse with uneasy breathing.

Robin saw this and made some movement in order to get her attention; ignoring the pain. "Hey, don't let it bother you, these bandits.., they threw away their humanity as soon as they decided to hurt the innocent; they are no worse than Risens."

"Yes..," Lucina then remembered why she was here. "Gods, are you alright Robin?"

A smile appeared on the Plegians face as he watched her run over. "Well, considering how am _not_ dead, yes I'm actually doing quite swell."

Lucina sadly didn't catch the sarcastic joke. "Oh thank goodness, I was worried you had permanent damage." She kneels down next to him and started double checking his wounds.

Robin cocked an eyebrow but decided not to question her poor understanding of jokes. "The others should arrive soon, especially since I told Gaius to come back here with the others."

"You're correct, the Shepherds were fighting some of the bandits when I joined the fray, but I overheard a few asking where you were..." Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

"Ah, so you were worried that Chrom would lose their tactician, who so happens to be very important when it comes to defeating the Plegian war." Robin was merely messing with her at this point, but Lucina didn't know that just yet.

"Well, of course, I was worried! What would happen to the so-called future that would be liberated by the dragon's grip?"

Robin chuckled, but he winced in pain upon doing so. "I think my spine is swollen, I'm willing to bet that guy could even lift Frederick..." He cringed at the thought of being thrown around once more by the Berserker.

"Your arm..," Lucina's sudden statement caused Robin to tilt his head. "I can see bandages via the hole on your sleeve."

"Oh that, an arrow hit me earlier when I was protecting Chrom, in fact, if it wasn't for this little injury of mine; Victor would have been killed a lot quicker."

Lucina's mouth was slightly open upon hearing that, and despite the mask, Robin knew she was staring right into his eyes. "Protecting Chrom..." She finally said but didn't finish her sentence oddly enough.

"Bubbles!" A familiar nickname and voice called out from afar.

"That must be Gaius," Robin continued. "Good thing too, cause I was starting to freeze out here."

"I should get going-"

Robin grabbed her arm. "Oh no you don't, you're staying with us for now, like it or not. Do you know how cold the nights get here, young lady? No way am I going to allow you wander alone, absolutely not."

Lucina stiffens at first and attempted to break free from the tactician's iron grip. "R-Robin, this is a serious matter, I can't stay with the Shepherds."

"Can't stay my arse! Just look at me for example, some random guy who claims to know the future, and yet I roam around without a care in the world," Robin closed his eyes. "Plus it seems I owe you a meal for saving my life."

"I'm not some child who agrees to such terms so easily." Lucina looked away with reddening cheeks.

Robin opened one of his eyes and gave her a sly smile. "I heard Regna Ferox has the best bear meat in all the realm."

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for the one-day delay, however, it wasn't due to college or anything like that - it was slightly put off because I kept getting a ton of ideas! So let us just say that writer blocks won't come anytime soon, but it does take me time to put my thoughts into words that are.., readable.**

The first Act of Awakening is coming to an end soon, and many things will start up, such as the peacetime - I have many plans for this period of time - and other world building/explanations that I need to build up before heading into the Valm war.

A few things that I would like to mention; currently messing with the concept of skills, personally, I adore the way Shadows Of Valentia handles these skills. The more crazy skills require HP/Lifeforce/Mana, whatever you want to call it, while the basic combat skills are attained by using the weapon/training like usual.

So I believe, I will be using this concept if everyone is alright with that of course. Any suggestions are welcomed and I would like to hear your opinion!

 **And finally, I would like to say the following: Thank you so much for reading this story, the number of Followers/Reviews/Favorites still astonishes me greatly, for I was only expecting to reach at most... 10 followers.**

 **Thank you for the kind reviews, feedback, criticism, favorites, and follows; truly from the bottom of my heart.**

 **We'll see the end together.., that is a promise.**


	12. Chapter 12: Undetermined Future

**Chapter 12: Undetermined Future.**

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Road of The Khan's grasp._

Sunlight poured gently into the wagon where Robin resided in, the sound of wooden wheels bouncing off the stone road was the only thing keeping him from screaming out of desperation.  
This was the third day of their travels, and his injury from the first day had yet to fully heal, forcing the tactician to lay down and rest inside a convoy during the march, only being allowed to exercise his legs an hour a day at most.

Naturally, this gave Robin the much needed time to sort his memories, emotions, and problems; recent memories that have been gained were causing his exterior composure to start crumbling. His ability to gain lost fragments related with the future was certainly a blessing, however, some of them were nothing but a double-edged weapon that kept cutting his sanity into pieces.

Not once did he show the bluenette his true feelings as to why he wanted her to stay, the vision of Lucina's death had managed to hurt the man greatly.

"Was I truly so weak..? So weak that someone had to sacrifice their life for me?" The question lingered on his tongue, a bitter taste that never left and only frustrated him to no end.

Being defeated by that Berserker made Robin's blood boil, he was angry at himself for being so cocky, taking the situation lightly just because people believed him to be so strong.

No, this would be the last time the tactician would fall in battle, next time he _will_ protect everyone around him – even when the reach of his sword and tactics were no longer enough – Robin will find a way to secure the victory.

A thought occurred to the tactician after reassuring himself, he reached into one of the many pockets hidden inside his coat and took out a notebook. "I almost forgot of your existence," Robin muttered to himself as he recalled buying it back at south-town. "Makes me wonder how Ray and Olivia are doing... Or if they even remember me, considering I only worked there for a day."

Upon opening the contents of the small notepad, Robin refreshed his mind on what he had previously written on it. The few words that stood out were: a Voice, Clumsy, and Courageous.

 _'That's right... I still haven't figured out who was the owner of said voice before I woke up in the field.'_ That was one of his great mysteries, only to be rivaled by the strange _Being_ that spoke out to him during his sleep.

At a single glance at his hand, Robin knew that the symbol tainting his skin was related to the Grimleal, that he was a part of them to some degree. Yet, every single time he admitted such a thing, it made him want to vomit in pure disgust.

Suddenly, before he could continue with his mental struggles, the convoy slowed down to a halt. "We're stopping here for a bit, Sir Robin." The soldier who was driving the wagon announced behind the curtain.

"Mind if I ask where exactly are we?"

"The Khan's grasp, a famous road that will allow us to arrive at our destination in an hour or so."

"I see, thank you-" Before he could finish thanking the soldier, the wagon bounced under the weight of someone entering it.

"How are you feeling, Robin?" He turned towards the voice and saw Lissa approaching him with a stave in hand.

"Definitely better, still a bit sore, but nothing I can't manage."

Lissa knelt down next to him, placing her stave next to his chest as a calming blue light washed over him. "Hmm..," Lissa concentrated as she examined his condition. "To be honest, you can move around now, but you need to take it easy today."

Robin's eyes widen a bit. "Wait, so does that mean I can march?"

At first, Lissa hesitated for a bit but ended up nodding. "However," She stops the tactician before he got up and left. "I would prefer if you didn't do so."

"... Since you sound serious, I guess I'll just stretch my legs for a bit then."

"Of course I'm serious!" The princess pouted. "Injuries are a serious thing, Robin. If you don't take the proper rest, you'll end up having a serious back problem for the rest of your life and who knows how that will affect you during the war."

Robin sat up straight, before slowly getting up on his own two feet, his back was a bit stiff, but the pain was no longer there. "I wasn't joking Lissa, I'll take it easy." He put up a smile, which reassured the blonde.

"Sorry, I guess I'm a bit stressed out and let it out on you by accident." Lissa looked down at her lap, stave being held tightly with both hands.

Such a sight was enough to make the tactician's heart to sink, and for the longest time, Robin stood there in silence; lacking the ability to utter a single word.

Lissa took a deep breath before standing up straight. "But I know things will turn out to be alright!" She wore a brave smile, a gesture that had the power to ward off the darkness.

"Of course, Ylisse will win, no doubt about it," Robin put as much effort as he could in sounding optimistic. "I'll go stretch my legs while we wait, and once we resume our march, I'll rest up just like you said."

Before the princess could respond, the white-haired lad had already left. "... Just like last time, his eyes were filled with sadness." Lissa's words didn't reach anyone's ears but her own, watching intently as Robin carefully exited the convoy.

The sound of snow steps was a welcomed change of pace for Robin, so was the view of the Shepherds moving around and having their daily lunch, while a few kept training with each other a few feet away from the road.

A couple of them waved at him with smiles, happy to see their tactician moving around freely. "Robin," Their prince's voice called out to him.

"Ah, Chrom, what is it?" Robin saw the prince approaching from the side; Robin halted in front of a convoy.

"I wanted to speak to you about a few things, and I was wondering if you had the time."

"Oh? Well, I have time, I'm more than willing to listen to what you have to say,"

Chrom nodded and paused for a bit, picking the right words to start off with. "When I heard how badly you were hurt.., it grounded me to reality once more; how things shouldn't be left unsaid,"

Not wanting to interrupt the prince, Robin simply waited with encouraging eyes that prompted Chrom to continue.

"I wanted to apologize, for when I blamed you for Emmeryn's decision of leaving and held hostility towards you, it was uncalled for and unjust."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "I never thought wrong of you, Chrom. Besides, I can fully understand how much Emmeryn means to you and Lissa.., to everyone, even me."

"All the more reason for me to apologize to you! You are strong enough to set your emotions aside, and pick out the best solution to a problem at hand – yet, here I am, just some hotheaded and emotionally driven prince-"

"Stop," Robin interrupted and gestured with a hand for him to no longer continue. "Our roles are different Chrom, mine is that of a tactician, one who needs to find the best answer that protects as many lives as possible, damn my emotions if needed. However, your role is that of a prince, someone who units people, and encourages them to move and follow you till the end of time without hesitation."

Chrom didn't move, his mouth slightly gaped open at such a response.

"If I were a prince," Robin continued. "I would drive an entire kingdom into ruins because of this mentality that I have, my cold and emotionless composure simply won't raise the morale of countless soldiers. Even now, the Shepherds have just barely recognized my voice of command, and that is simply because they've seen me in action."

"... I see," Chrom's hand instinctively went to Falchion's hilt as he downcast his eyes.

"Trust me when I say that you're in the right when you follow your emotions; know that I'll always watch your back and make sure you don't end up falling down along the way due to them."

This made the bluenette smile softly. "Please, I already have to worry about Frederick cleaning up the entire road so I don't trip over a pebble."

"That's why he picks up stones and rocks? Gods, I thought he was addicted to some sort of pebble collection." Robin furrowed his eyebrows as he was slightly taken back.

Chrom chuckled at this. "I'll admit, that is also what I believed for a fair bit of time - before I asked him upfront about it."

They both shared a much needed laugh, but it was Chrom who decided to continue speaking. "By the way, how did you manage to convince Marth in joining us?"

"Well, you know how I told you – or any Shepherd – not to ask any questions directed towards him? That was one of the main requirements for him to join us for now."

"Hmm, seems a bit ominous," Chrom looked around, giving the tactician his full attention upon not finding what he looked for. "No matter, we need someone as talented as Marth, and he has my trust."

Robin's neutral face shifted to a happier expression. "I'll make sure to let him know that, I'm sure he'll appreciate such a comment."

Chrom took a step forward and rested a hand on the Plegian's shoulder. "I'll leave it to you then." And with that, Chrom turned and left.

Once he was fully out of view, Robin let out a sigh – frosty breath fully visible – before turning around. "You shouldn't eavesdrop, it'll become a terrible habit."

Upon hearing his words, the sound of feet shuffling behind the wagon could be heard. "Sorry, I didn't mean to," Lucina came into view soon after she said that.

"No harm feelings here. So, why were you hiding?"

"To avoid Lissa," Lucina responded. "Despite your efforts of keeping everyone from asking questions, Lissa does her best to corner me at every turn."

"Is that so?" A knowing smile appeared on his face. "Did you know that Lissa has a crush on you?"

Upon hearing this, Lucina's face lit up in a bright shade of red. "W-What?"

Robin laughed upon seeing her reaction. "Someone is apparently a great male actor." He managed to gasp out after calming down.

"P-Please, Robin, lower your voice..."

"Right, right," Robin crossed his arms as a cold breeze blew by. "Ah, remind me to go take you on a meal once we arrive at the capital."

Lucina tilted her head. "You don't need to do such thing,"

"It'll give us an excuse to speak in private actually.., there are things I want to say, but now isn't the suitable moment."

"Hmm.., very well." She said with a short nod.

A horn was heard, indicating the Shepherds to start moving out in five minutes. "I'll see you later then, Lissa demanded me to rest in the convoy one last time."

Lucina watched him leave. "He has both mine and Father's trust, a shame I never got to know him back in my world." A cheery voice made the masked swordswomen flinch, and before Lissa found her, she swiftly ran straight towards her hiding spot.

* * *

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Khan's Throne room._

"Glad you made it, prince Chrom." Flavia welcomed the Shepherds with open arms.

Chrom smiled and nodded, giving the Khan a handshake. "Yes, it was a lot easier without being attacked by your guards."

The East-Khan let out a hearty chuckle. "Yes, indeed. Now tell me, is the reason behind your arrival about the war?"

"I'm afraid so, we need the Feroxi troops to move out and aid Ylisse as soon as possible,"

Upon hearing this, Flavia closed her eyes and smiled with pride. "Our army has been ready to move out since yesterday, so let me send a messenger to Ylisstol and alert them of our deployment." She turned and made way to leave.

"Thank you, Khan Flavia." A huge weight was lifted off Chrom's shoulders.

Feroxi's reigning Khan simply waved a hand over her shoulder as she exits the room, leaving the Shepherds to discuss the situation at hand.

"Seems like things are slowly working in our favor," Robin commented.

Chrom turned and looked at the tactician with a much happier expression than before. "Yes, and it thanks to everyone's hard work."

Their prince's words encouraged everyone in the room, even if it was a small amount. "Milord," Frederick took a step forward. "It'll be wise to depart with the Feroxi army."

"Hmm.., what do you think, Robin?" Chrom asked his tactician.

"That will be the best decision, it'll allow us to run next to our borders with numbers to back us up."

Before any further discussions were voiced out, Flavia entered the room. "I have sent a scout towards Ylisstol, we'll await the Exalt orders, they should be back tomorrow before dusk."

"We can send our pegasus knights, it'll be done in a quicker amount of time," Chrom suggested.

"I recommend not to do that," Flavia continued before they could ask any questions. "Feroxi weather has been unforgiving as of late, fliers will have no chance in the blizzard's might. Our scouts are trained to run for miles on end without tiring, even in these harsh conditions, so leave it to them."

Such a thing sounded logical enough, it gave light as to why Regna Ferox doesn't use fliers in the first place; Robin was the first to comment on this. "Such a natural defensive mechanism further increases Regna Ferox's potential of warding off invaders such as Plegia."

"Sharp eyes, tactician," Flavia continued. "Us Feroxi, have survived and mastered mother nature for many centuries, strength and skill speak louder than words here."

The sound of two doors opening caused everyone in the room to turn towards the noise. "And to hell any worshiping shenanigans! Oh, but no offense, Ylisseans." Basilio entered the room with a wide smile.

Flavia scoffed at this. "Is this how you're going to treat our guest, oaf?"

Basilio shrugged his head. "These bunch have tough skin, a bit of Feroxi humor isn't something they can't handle."

"Lord Basilio!" A feminine voice called out to the Khan, and it wasn't long till a short girl in a skimpy outfit, came into view.

Robin's eyes widen as he instantly recognized the pink haired lady. "Olivia?"

Olivia noticed the white-haired tactician and also stared at him with widening eyes. "Robin..?" She finally uttered out.

"You two know each other?" Basilio crossed his arms and observed the duo.

"Olivia is someone I worked with for a very short amount of time back at South-town, located in the Ylissean territory," Robin explained, his eyes no longer fixated on the shy maiden, due to her outfit.

Olivia was mostly wearing see-through clothing that left little to the imagination, it was something you would expect someone who lives in a hot region to wear.

She nodded after hearing Robin's story. "He isn't lying, in fact, R-Robin defended me against two ill-mannered men, while I was working in a restaurant so I could get enough money for my trip back to Regna Ferox."

Basilio laughed. "Really now!? Well isn't that ironic!"

"What is he talking about?" Robin asked his old friend.

"W-Well you see-"

Basilio cut her off with his booming voice. "Olivia gets into that sort of trouble often, but anyway, she's Feroxi prized possession, her dancing motivates soldiers to fight twice as hard!"

Olivia's face heated up. "O-Oh, I wouldn't say am _that_ good..."

"Was there something you needed, Olivia?" Basilio - while ignoring her timid response - reminded the modest dancer of why she was here.

"Ah! How could I forget, I'm s-sorry!" She bowed her head quickly before speaking. "Basilio, the army needs your insight on how we'll move out."

Basilio sent a dirty glare at Flavia, who in-returned smirked. "You lazy old women..." His voice trailed off to an inaudible mutter. "I'll be seeing all of ya lot later, it seems I have some work to do..."

While the large man left the room - grumbling to himself - Olivia turned to the Shepherds and gave them a quick bow before running after the Khan.

"Ahem," Flavia gained their attention. "Since we have all day, why don't we all relax with a bit of a feast!"

* * *

 _Location: Feroxi's Streets, outside of the Reigning Khan's castle._

Robin and Lucina – who wore a brown coat with a hood – had managed to leave the mini-festival that Flavia manages to pull off every time there is an opportunity. They decided it would be best to find an area that wasn't too secluded, and where it would allow them to speak without the Shepherds noticing.

"Seems like the wind is picking up," Robin noted as he wrapped his coat tightly around himself.

"Khan Flavia did mention that the weather was unforgiving as of late."

However, even when a blizzard was brewing, the streets were still buzzing with energy; many people heading in and out of buildings, others talking alongside the streets without a care in the world.

Robin let out a sigh. "I envy their endurance to these extremely cold conditions."

"Is it that cold? Back in my time, the temperature was very similar to this depending on where we were."

Lucina was walking behind the tactician, but he could tell she was tilting her head at him, it was an odd habit of hers. "Sorry, but the cold and I don't get along very well."

After walking for a couple of seconds in silence, Robin caught the whiff of a familiar aroma. "Ah, I think we've found our destination."

The pair stood in front of the wooden building, the door had a sign with the name of the place and indicating that it was open. "Did you already know this place?" Lucina asked as Robin walked up the stairs and opened the door for her.

"When I ate some bear meat with Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick, I sort of remembered this place." His face was blasted with the smell of many types of meals, alongside the warm interior that welcomed them with open arms.

"Greetings! Please, take a seat anywhere you like!" A young lady behind the counter said as they entered.

Robin gestured to a table that was near a corner, next to a window. "Luckily the place isn't too abandoned, I was hoping the voices of other customers would mask ours."

They sat across from each other and engaged in their new conversation. "So what is it you needed to speak about, Robin?"

"I wanted to see if I can refresh some memories, but in order to do so, you'll have to tell me some events about the Plegian war that occurred back in your world."

Lucina glanced around, upon seeing how distracted everyone in the room was with their own conversations, she reached up to her mask and fiddled with it, until it came loose. "I was only told the important parts, but I'll be more than willing to tell you," Lucina - mask in hand - locked eyes with the tactician, her sapphire eyes drowned his gaze in an endless sea of blue.

Robin couldn't help but let his eyes lock onto hers, and it was then when he noticed it, Lucina's left eye wielded the Brand of the Exalt. "Upon hearing the announcement of Emmeryn's death," Lucina ignored his gaze and continued. "Ylisse raised their banners and joined arms with the small army at the time."

"So the moral issue disappeared because of the Exalt's death..." Robin leaned forward, planting both elbows on the table as he held his chin with his hands.

"That was part of it, for Chrom was also gravely injured, and this filled their rage even further."

"Wait," Robin piece the puzzle together easily. "You mean during the assassination attempt? Wouldn't I have been there to prevent him from getting harmed?"

Lucina shrugs her head. "Not in my timeline. Chrom was found alone in the courtyard, bleeding out to death. Such injuries he attained that day would wither him down slowly for the rest of his life at a rapidly increasing pace."

 _'That night.., I went on a walk in order to clear up my mind.'_ Now that he reflected on it, Robin would have never spoken with Chrom that day if it wasn't for his lost memories and livid flashbacks, Lucina hiding in the bushes suddenly made a lot more sense.

"Both Ylisse and Ferox attacked Plegian borders," Lucina continued. "However, it was a devastating battle for all sides, merely ending in a draw that was forced upon them due to the approaching winter. During that small grace period, Chrom – once he had healed – married Sumia, which further increased the population's morale and kept their minds off the war and Emmeryn's recent death."

Robin looked at her left eye. "The two individuals that would later be your parents."

Lucina nodded slowly. "Yes, but I wasn't born until just after the war ended, in fact, my Mother didn't fight for most of it due to carrying me."

"I wonder who's idea was it to do all of that for the sake of encouraging the troops..." Not wanting to admit it, Robin kinda knew who was responsible.

"The Robin of my time suggested the idea, my Father went along with it after much debate."

This made the tactician cover his eyes with his hands. "Such underhanded tactics... At least I would like to think that it prevented as much bloodshed as possible." He peeked through his fingers after saying this.

"Honestly, your decisions did prevent a lot of soldiers from blindly going into battle, many of them wished to survive in order to see the young princess grow." Lucina was referring to herself, and she may have worn a smile while saying it, but her eyes showed feelings of sorrow and guilt.

Not wanting to further harm her emotions, Robin decided to get the conversation back on track. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves.., so what happened after winter."

"Fights resumed at the borders, and Ylisse lost its squadron of Pegasus Knights due to the overwhelming forces that the Wyvern-Riders of Plegia were known for. Only with the help of Feroxi's precise aiming with bows, were they able to pull victorious and press forward into Plegia's territory."

None of this was helping, such outcomes were predictable as it was. "Alright, so it seems it just kept going until Ylisse won."

"That was sadly the case, it took a year to beat Plegia."

A waitress approached them, allowing Robin to order their meals – despite Lucina's complaint – before continuing with their conversation. "Hopefully this time, we'll end the war early," Robin muttered once the waitress left.

Lucina heard this and decided to take advantage of it. "How did the Plegian war end?"

Internally, Robin was caught off guard, but his composed exterior showed none of this. "You mean, from my time?"

The future princess nodded. "Surely you have remembered something about it, after hearing what I have said."

This was a topic Robin was hoping he would avoid, but in doing so, he would be betraying Lucina's trust that she had in him. "I haven't remembered much, except for one thing that I have yet to fully believe," Robin sat up straight and summed up the courage to say what has been eating away at him. "Emmeryn is captured and taken to Plegia-"

"Pardon!?" Lucina almost jumped out of her seat but restrained from doing so once a few people glanced their way.

"Calm down, Luci-"

Lucina spoke with a hushed but rushed tone. "How long have you known this Robin?" Her eyes showed how betrayed she felt.

"During the escort," Robin was going to be completely honest with her this time. "When I saw the Plegian leader fall to his doom, a vision of Emmeryn falling down from a pinnacle in the Plegian Castle Courtyard invaded my mind."

"Why didn't you..." Lucina paused and took a deep breath. "No, you don't deserve to be questioned, for I have been doing the same in many other ways beforehand." The bluenette said the latter to herself in almost a whisper.

Robin attempted to mend any harm feelings. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, either way, I must depart and head straight to Ylisse," She stood up, but Robin was quick to reach out and grab her arm.

"No." His firm demand caused her to freeze in place, but she was quick to shake his hand off.

"Do you know how important the Exalt is? Why are you in my way." Lucina demanded an answer.

"Listen to me," Robin continued. "What is one person going to do in protecting Emmeryn, if the entire Ylissean army couldn't."

"Warn her, just like I did with you and Chrom."

Robin rejected the answer with a shake of his head. "You're missing the point," He was quick to gesture to the chair with his eyes, alerting the princess of the stares they were receiving.

Lucina let out a sigh and sat back down, much to her discomfort. "Very well, explain to me what am I missing."

"Emmeryn was just recently attacked by Plegians during our escort mission, and almost got assassinated the night before that, this obviously means that she'll be heavily guarded even further during all hours now. Sure, let us say you'll be trusted and allowed to see her, but know that the Exalt herself made it clear that she'll stand by her people and protect them."

Slowly but surely, the time-traveler pieced the puzzle together, it wasn't long till her eyes lit up in realization. "Then how did she get captured?"

A smile appeared on the tactician's face upon seeing that Lucina was now on the same page as him. "When looking at the castle, it's easy to tell that it is meant to counter-attack any siege attempts, so there is no reason for the Exalt to fall in Ylisstol unless the entire Plegian army attacks for days on end."

Lucina nodded, relaxing in her seat a bit as she ended up abandoning her plans on leaving for now.

Robin happily continued speaking upon noticing this. "So my current theory is that Ylisse didn't fight against Plegia when they invaded, rather, Emmeryn surrendered due to not wanting her people to fight and risk their lives."

"Even if you say this, we need to do something, Robin."

"And we will," Robin tap his head with a finger. "I have created countless scenarios with answers during my recovery, and if I remember correctly, all the visions I have gained are due to past experiences; us Shepherds were there in the Plegian castle courtyard."

Finally, this was enough to reassure the princess. "Ylisse will raise their banners and invade Plegia successfully upon seeing their Exalt held hostage..." She muttered to herself while looking down at her open palms. "The actions I have done in your previous world, they made this much of a difference?"

"Indeed they did, and this is one of those stepping stones that will lead to certain victory, that I can assure you."

Lucina looked up and into his amber eyes. "You'll do anything to stop Emmeryn's death, correct?"

Robin hesitated, such an answer didn't come easily to him, for the results of losing their Exalt to the Mad-King had yet to come to him. "Yes, I want to save her life."

Before the Foreseer could speak, a waitress arrived with their meal. "Thank you for waiting, here's your meal."

Robin had ordered enough bear meat for the both of them, and it was evident that Lucina was hungry, for her eyes stared at the plate with mix emotions.

With a chuckle, Robin gestured at the food. "Let us leave this conversation for another time, for now, let's enjoy the food."

* * *

 _Location: The next day, Khan's castle, Training Area._

A loud yawn escaped Robin's mouth as he walked towards the training area, it was already past noon, so he had sadly missed the daily routine. "I knew I shouldn't have stayed up late making battle strategies..." He was practically dragging his feet lazily.

Two massive doors stood in his way as he reached the end of the corridor, he pushed them open with a small grunt and revealed the view that was the arena.

A few eyes glanced his way, Frederick and Sumia to be specific. "Robin," Frederick narrowed his eyes. "You're late."

With a nervous smile, Robin rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night. Missing our training routine wasn't my intention."

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched how Sumia went back to facing towards a distracted prince, the tactician had just noticed that Chrom and Lissa were staring at the ground, the latter had a big frown on their face and teary eyes.

"Training should be the least of your concern," Frederick spoke up. "I'm afraid we have bigger problems on our plate."

Almost instantly, Robin's heart sunk, something told him he knew what was going to happen next. "I don't like the sound of that," He walked over to them with a serious look on his face. "Chrom, what happened?"

Chrom didn't respond, his face was completely still, the man was lost in his own world.

"Captain!" Sumia shouted, expecting their commander to move when doing so, but Chrom simply reacted by glancing up with neutral eyes.

"Hmm?" Such a response was so weak, especially from Chrom, but it was enough to answer Robin's question.

"The messengers are back, aren't they? Frederick, what happened, what is going on?" Robin demanded the Knight to answer, completely ignoring the ranks between the two.

Luckily for him, the Great-Knight decided to follow his orders. "The Exalt.., has been captured and taken to Plegia."

Chrom cringed at the words. "E-Emmeryn..."

Robin felt the pain in the prince's voice, the tactician's vision was starting to become a reality. "Chrom, wake up, we need-"

Before the Plegian could finish his words, Sumia steps forward and reeled back a fist, hitting their prince right in the jaw and sending him flying towards the ground.  
Chrom let out a shout of agony as he landed flat on his face, as the force was enough to turn him around mid-flight.

Everyone – except Sumia and Chrom – had shocked expressions, unable to comprehend what just happened, not even Frederick was able to utter a word.

"Captain!" Sumia continued. "You must snap out of it, there is no time to stand here idly as our Exalt is in danger!"

Chrom slowly got back up while rubbing his jaw. "S-Sumia, why in Naga's name did you hit me!?"

Unaware of her mistakes, Sumia tilted her head in confusion. "Phila always said that a good slap will break someone out of their doldrums... D-Did I mess up?"

Lissa let out a sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sumia, when you slap someone, you hit them with your palm..." She spread her arms dramatically. "What you just did was a literal punch to the face."

Chrom's hand left his jaw, revealing a red bruise that was slightly bleeding due to Sumia's armored gloves. "S-Sumia... Gods, that seriously hurt." He muttered as he shook his head in disappointment.

The pegasus knight stammered with red cheeks. "It's the thought that counts... Right? Oh, I'm so sorry Chrom!"

A loud hearty laugh filled the training arena, Flavia had entered the room just when Sumia landed the blow. "What's wrong dear prince?" Flavia continued while approaching them. "Sometimes love hurts! Ahaha!"

Robin zoned out from the conversation, his mind instantly going back to the issue at hand. _'Just like I foresaw, she got captured, and the events that have played out in my head will become reality.'_ The tactician left his train of thoughts for now and stared at the Shepherds who were discussing with Flavia about future plans.

"The Feroxi army has been fully mobilized," Flavia continued with a proud smile. "Every last man is itching to fight, and I must admit, I'm also looking forward to savoring a skirmish or two myself."

Chrom looked at the Khan with hopeful eyes. "Wait, you're coming along with us?"

Flavia closed her eyes and smiled, her claymore - that rested on her shoulder - shined under the light as she stood tall. "Of course! A Khan must have her fun every now and then, I'm even bringing my insignificant other."

As if on cue, the doors busted wide open, and Basilio approached them with haste. "Chrom! I have been looking for your arse everywhere!"

"Is something the matter?" Chrom narrowed his eyes, his heart beating faster by the second as fear started to swell up inside of him.

"Our scouts may have reported back to us that Emmeryn was captured, however, a wounded Ylissean Pegasus knight reported back to our western border guards just now," The room went completely silent. "They were one of the many captured knights, but were released in order to relay a message to us, King Gangrel plans to execute Emmeryn two nights from now, when the sun is at its highest."

Lissa let out a shriek of terror. "Emmeryn no!" She stumbled forward before passing out.

"L-Lissa? Lissa!" Robin barely managed to catch the unresponsive princess.

Flavia stomped her foot. "That dastard isn't even trying to be subtle anymore!" The Khan was referring to the trap set in front of them.

"I agree, it's an obvious trap," Robin remarked, glancing up and down between Lissa and the others.

However, Chrom ignored all of this, his blood was boiling, and his eyes were firm. "Frederick!" The Great-Knight saluted under his voice. "Assemble the Shepherds, we're moving out and marching to Plegia!"

The prince made way to walk past the West-Khan, but the large man held out an arm and stopped him. "Yes, that would be _one_ option, but perhaps we have seen enough royalty waltzing into the Mad-King's clutches for one war already."

Chrom pushed the Khan's arm aside. "I don't care if it's a trap, Basilio!" His shouts echoed through the room. "He's going to murder my sister!"

Before things went out of hand, Flavia swiftly interfered. "Peace, Chrom. Breathe a moment." She continued once the hot-headed blue blood took a step back and narrowed his eyes. "No one is suggesting we don't act, we're simply saying we should act _wisely._ We need guts and wits in equal measure if we're to save the Exalt."

"The Khan's are right," Robin voiced out. "I'll think of something, Chrom... I know I will."

Upon being reassured by his comrades, Chrom's shoulders went limp, a small portion of his anger vanished. "Very well..," He turned to look at Robin. "I'll leave it to you to formulate our strategy."

Chrom, once he said that, left the room without another word – Robin watched as their prince left – Sumia and Frederick soon followed after him. _'Those eyes of his, they spoke countless words directed only to me..._ ' Robin saw how desperate Chrom was, he wanted an answer so badly, and how the prince wanted to leave at this very moment in order to save Emmeryn.

Lissa started coming to, shifting slightly in the tactician's arms. "E-Emmeryn..." She whispered out with a frown.

Robin felt an overwhelming pressure that pressed against his chest. "Robin," Flavia's voice brought him back to reality. "Are you sure you can handle this? You hold the Exalt's life in one hand, and all of ours in the other."

Standing there before both Khans, the only option he had was to put on a brave face. "I'll find a way, I'm always up to the challenge after all."

Flavia let out a hearty laugh. "You have stones at least!"

"Something we'll need greatly," Basilio's face lit up. "You better assign me to a position worthy of my status lad, the front lines to be exact!"

The Khans were eager to fight, which caused the tactician to smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

 ** _..._**

Both the Shepherds and Feroxi Army prepared themselves at the Longfort, for Robin decided it was best to march right now towards their destination, opting to split their forces in order to devise a distraction for the Plegian army.

For now, however, they would use a large stone bridge that crossed the large river, which served as a natural border between Feroxi and Plegian soil.

A strong breeze blew, Robin's coat swayed under the wind as he kept staring off towards the south from above the Longfort. More then a handful of memories kept disturbing the Plegian, but he kept them at bay by just losing himself in the view, observing intently at how the territory beyond the bridge had a bit of greenery, before shifting to that of a vast desert.

Somehow, it sent him a feeling of nostalgia and even gave him a sense of belonging. "And yet, I share these feelings towards Ylisstol... Where do I belong?" Robin's eyes shifted a bit towards the west, where Ylisse would be located if one could see for miles on end.

Light footsteps approached him. "To think I would be fighting alongside the Shepherds," Lucina walked up to him and gestured if she could join him, which Robin responded with a short nod.

"Is it really something to be amazed at?" The tactician asked while leaning forward – resting his crossed arms on the rail – for a better view at the horizon, relaxing as the warm wind hit his face and blew his hair.

"Of course it is," Lucina continued. "I have always grown up looking up to the Shepherds – everyone in the future did."

Robin glanced to his side, he saw how the princess stood up straight as she gazed off into the distance. "Everyone..?" He felt as she was referring to a specific group, not just the people from Ylisstol.

After a couple of seconds of silence, it was clear that the masked women had no intentions of answering him.

Robin let out a sigh and just returned to gazing, but this time, it was towards the sky. "An awful amount of clouds have been piling up as of late,"

"It seems like it might rain," Lucina swiftly responded in a way that cut off his attempt at small talk.

Only the sound of soldiers working down below, and the wind blowing, could be heard for the longest time. So much so, that Robin went back to planning out their options for the upcoming battle if things went smoothly.

 _'I might be able to implement a rescue mission while the Plegian army is distracted by the Shepherds when we arrive, if we can free Emmeryn and some of her knights – if Gangrel didn't kill or release all of them – then we can make a run for it with the help of the Feroxi Army clearing a path.'_

"Robin," Lucina's voice instantly shattered his train of thoughts. "Doesn't all of this put you on edge?"

For a while, Robin pondered on the question. "Not really," He stood up straight and stretched his sore back. "I guess it's because I already know I have experienced this, so I should be fine."

"Yes, of course, but I was talking about leading the troops and everything you have done... What if things don't go your way? What if.., you fail them."

"Fail them..." The tactician muttered those words to himself and continued to repeat them in his mind.

Sunlight caught Robin's eyes, causing him to look at the horizon, the sun was setting and it was almost time to depart due to this. His time training with Frederick at the lake resurfaced, and he remembered how Lucina viewed the world around them.

With a small smile, Robin answered her questions. "Obviously, I'll pick the path that wields the least bloodshed, but no matter the outcome, if a single life is lost out there, I consider it a failure... I'm fully aware that this is war, and such a thing is a naive thing to say, but I can't help but feel that way."

"I see," Lucina glanced down at her feet.

"Why did you ask?"

The princess took a step back from the edge of the fort. "... Curiosity I suppose." And with that, Lucina left the scene and headed down the fort without another word.

 _'Was Lucina referring to herself when asking those questions? I mean, she is the princess of Ylisse, and if Chrom perished and passed down Falchion to her, then I can only imagine she was the Exalt of that timeline... Yet she said that humanity lost against Grima's army of the undead.'_

"Robin!" Chrom's voice shouted from below.

"Huh?" He glanced down from where he stood and spotted the prince waving at him, waiting in front of the stone bridge with a few convoys already passing by.

"We're moving out, get down from there!"

Robin followed his orders and made his way down the stairs. "No matter, I just need to focus on what's in front of me... Emmeryn, we're coming." His words were barely above a whisper, but they were armed with all of his resolve and might.

* * *

 **AN: Man, I was seriously debating if I was going to split this chapter (It was supposed to be longer then this) or just post the next part next Monday... Well, the answer is obvious, I'll be posting next Monday instead of leaving it hanging for two weeks.**

 _Side Note (You can skip these, but I plan on writing these from now on at the end of the chapter, to answer some questions):_

Most of you have noticed, but the supports are completely different from the in-game version, I was originally going to mix the JP and EN versions - which is why Sumia acts a bit differently with Chrom - and just repeat their supports slowly, but then I thought to myself: Everyone has read these supports countless times in other fanfics or from the game itself... Which is why I have decided to make unique support conversations while maintaining the Shepherds personality depending on the situation in hand.

In conclusion, the game's limitation of not being able to give you supports based on what they're currently facing will not be present in this story, and some of the original support conversations WILL occur over time when it feels right.

A prime example was Chrom, in this timeline, Robin doesn't question his emotionally driven personality, because he already accepts the Prince due to his faint memories.

The next chapter might be a long one, I'm still not sure, it'll depend on what I change when I review it!

Thank you for reading, and giving me support, until next time~!


	13. Chapter 13: The Grimleal

**Chapter 13: The Grimleal.**

 _Location: Village of the Dragon Graveyard._

A small girl ran into an abandoned house in a remote village that was located next to many skeletons from ancient dragons. She was quick to close the door and find a hole in the floor, using it as an access point to get underneath the floorboards.

The girl with light green-hair curled up in a ball in a dusty corner, ignoring the pain that emitted from her scratches that littered her exposed skin. "W-What am I going to do..?" She whispered softly as she listened carefully for her captors.

Seconds went by, and then a couple of minutes, only the sound of howling wind that went through the gaps of the collapsing walls could be heard.

This made the girl relax a bit, for it seemed as she was finally safe from danger – at least, that's what she wanted to believe.

"Where did the gal go!?" A male voice shouted, coming from outside, followed by the door being slammed open.

Another voice responded to the question. "This is the only place she could have ran to Boss."

Upon hearing the intruders, the girl covered her mouth and attempted to steady her breathing.

"That blasted Nowi..!" The boss shouted as the sound of a wooden chair being broken echoed through the house.

Nowi flinched and closed her eyes, praying that she wouldn't be found. _'If only they didn't take away my dragonstone!'_ She thought to herself as anger swelled up inside her chest.

"Hey, Boss, why don't we just hire a sell-sword?"

This made the man scoff. "You know how expensive those are around these parts, ya brute!?"

"But can't we just sell her to the Grimleal at double the price?"

A pause of silence went by, it was enough time to make Nowi shiver. "... I like that idea. You know what? You're right, let's get a mercenary and hunt her down."

Their footsteps made the wooden floor creek, and it wasn't long till their presence was gone. "Did they really leave..?" Nowi whispered as she waited a couple of seconds.

Once the coast was clear, the Manakete crawled over to the hole she used to get underneath the floor and peeked around carefully. Upon seeing that she was completely alone, she decided it was best to leave and run west.

* * *

Robin let out a relaxed sigh as he continued to walk through the dense sand. The blazing sun kept eating away at everyone's stamina, and their horses were walking painfully slow due to the terrain.

Much like in Regna Ferox, most of the members were already voicing out their complaints. However, it seems like all but one was fed up with this heat, and a blonde princess has noticed this.

"Robin, how are you not exhausted?" Lissa asked with tired eyes, she was dragging her feet and was gasping for air.

Despite her obvious agony, Robin chuckled. "Probably because my body is more than happy that we left the cold climates of Ferox."

Lissa just stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "That doesn't really explain it, especially since you're wearing a coat! You should be sweating more then Lon'qu!"

"Didn't I tell you before?" Robin turned his head to look at her. "This coat of mine repels the heat and cold pretty well, more so when it comes to the heat though."

Lissa pondered for a second or so before an idea came to mind. "You should share it,"

Robin couldn't help but have a deadpanned face upon hearing this. "Seriously?"

The princess nodded rapidly, her golden pigtails bobbing up and down. "I'm going to die at this rate, and it'll be your fault!"

"Mine?" Robin pointed a finger at himself. "Sorry, milady, but I'm pretty sure that I hold no responsibility for who the sun kills under its heat."

Lissa pouted and crossed her arms, huffing along the way next to the white-haired tactician. "And I thought you were the gentlemen type..." She muttered out.

That was enough to make Robin feel guilty, but what truly scared him was if Maribelle heard about this. "Just for a bit, alright?" He gave in with a sigh, swiftly taking off his coat and handing it over.

Lissa grabbed it and smiled victoriously. "You're a life saver, Robin!"

Upon putting it on herself like a blanket – her dress prevented her from putting it on properly – the Ylissean princess instantly felt relief. "Whoa, you're right, it feels like I'm still in Ylisse during a normal day."

"Put up the hood," Robin pointed out with a small smile. "It won't do you much if you let the sunlight hit your head."

While the young princess did as she was told, Robin let his eyes wander out of curiosity of wanting to know how the others were holding up. Most them were keeping up with the march, not letting their human limitations get the better of them, all for the sake of saving Emmeryn.

However, Robin noticed how Lon'qu was starting to slow down, and that he was having the most trouble with this heat – it was a prime example of how the other army, Regna Ferox, was most likely feeling as well.

 _'I really hope Basilio and Flavia get into position in time, without their diversion, we'll be trapped on the spot with no way out.'_ Before Robin could continue thinking, a strong breeze carrying grains of sand forced him to hold his ground and cover his eyes with an arm.

Lissa giggled she was protected by the oversize coat. "By the way Robin, if we do engage in battle anytime soon, you should avoid any physical interactions with the enemy."

"So I basically can't use my sword," Robin's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his blade, as if to make sure it was still there.

The princess nodded, and her face showed that she was quite serious about it. "I heard that my father suffered many injuries, and due to not wanting to lose, kept fighting despite them... And well, it wasn't long till death was at his doorstep."

Such a topic was a doorway that the tactician has been waiting to open for a while now. "... Mind if I ask something rather personal?" Robin waited for her permission.

"You can ask, but don't get mad if I change the topic." Lissa smiled lightly.

After being permitted, Robin collected the right words for a moment, letting another breeze die down before speaking. "Your father's death.., did it inspire you in becoming a cleric?"

Robin was facing forward, not daring to see Lissa's face after saying that, but in the corner of his eye, he could see that the princess slowed down slightly.

"Something like that," Lissa spoke out weakly but regained her original speed while continuing. "I never had the chance to make memories with my father, so it always haunted me... And I guess someday I just realized that I wanted to travel across the world while helping those in need; preventing others from feeling what I have, by healing the wounded and the sick."

This made Robin smile, it almost brought a tear to his eye. "That is a very noble cause,"

"Oh, it's nothing!" Lissa was flabbergasted. "Emmeryn and Chrom have way more potential."

"I get it now," Robin let out a small chuckle before continuing. "It's not that you sell yourself short, instead, you admire your siblings greatly."

Lissa tilted her head slightly, but it wasn't long till she understood Robin's words. "... You know what? You're right, I do admire them, they are everything I have left.., and the Shepherds, I consider all of them as family members."

"Oh?" Robin lifted an eyebrow but held a bright smile. "Does that mean I'm considered a family member too?"

"Of course! I have always seen the Shepherds as one big happy family, just being with them, it somehow makes my worries disappear."

Robin couldn't agree more, no matter how odd the members of their squadron were, the morale of the team was almost always high spirited and it was enough to fight against the stress of war.

"I'll protect them." The tactician muttered under his breath.

"Hmm? Did you say something, Robin?"

Before he could make up a lie or just shrug off the question, someone's voice shouted from up ahead. _"Enemies spotted!"_ That voice was Chrom's, for it roared above the wind, and preparations for battle were instantly being made.

Robin made his way towards the front. "Chrom, is it Plegian soldiers?"

"No," Chrom pointed ahead. "It seems we have bumped into a more dangerous menace."

Frederick made his way over to them and gave light to the situation at hand. "Grimleals have been spotted and confirmed, Milord."

The Shepherd's scouts, Sumia and Cordelia, landed nearby and also reported back the same information.

While everyone moved into position, Robin stood his ground and repeated the name in his mind. "So, I'm finally going to fight them... The Grimleal."

* * *

 _A few minutes later._

Nowi kept running, one of the captors was right on her tail. "J-Just leave me alone!"

"Oi, Gregor has no intentions of hurting wee one!" A rather old man, with red spiky short hair, chased after the Manakete.

"Y-You killed everyone!" Nowi cried out as she kept running at full speed.

Gregor, a mercenary that was hired to hunt Nowi, did his best to keep up with the girl, but his gear prevented him from moving easily. "W-Wait, can't you see Gregor has innocent baby face?"

In a blink of an eye, an Elthunder forced the mercenary to halt and roll to the side, separating the two from each other.

"Leave the girl alone," A man with white-hair approached them, his baggy pants and a plain shirt was an odd choice; as if his clothing was missing a vital piece.

Nowi halted and glanced back, she was shocked to see someone was defending her. "Y-You're going to help me?"

Robin smiled kindly. "Of course," He then pointed at an oasis that was littered with ancient skeletons that were known as Dragon bones, if one strained their eyes, they could see a battle roaring in the distance. "However, we're all in trouble and I rather not harm either of you."

Gregor dusted himself off. "Gregor don't want to hurt the wee one, was only protecting from former employers."

"Former?" Robin raised an eyebrow, ignoring the sweat that was about to enter his eyes, for his hands were busy holding his tome.

"Yes, Gregor killed them, they wanted to harm the girl." He explained while expressing many motions with his hands, for the man was trying his best to not get misunderstood.

Oddly enough, such a remark from this man didn't come across as weird to the tactician. "Very well, just leave the girl to us then and-"

"Robin!" Lucina's voice was followed up by her appearance, she slid down a large dune and ran up to the tactician. "Why did you run off like that- wait, are those two!"

"Know them?" Robin ignored the looks of confusion from Gregor and Nowi.

Lucina nodded subtly, it was enough for only Robin to see, while the other two could simply blame it on the scorching heat if they thought they saw something. "No, I do not," Lucina lied. "But we should help them, I sense no malice in them."

Gregor almost jumped in relief upon hearing this. "Finally someone believes innocent Gregor!" He laughed with a big smile.

Nowi seemed to calm down as well, and she looked more collective now. "Are you sure you won't hurt me?" She asked the tactician.

Robin simply replied with a confident nod. "Just stick close, and we'll do everything in our power to defend you."

"Oi," Gregor took a step forward. "If you be protecting the girl, then let Gregor assist you,"

"Assist us? Are you sure about that..?" Robin was certain that there was a catch to this.

"Gregor is mercenary, yes? Maybe you hire Gregor. True, Gregor just killed his former employers, but still very reliable so long as the girl doesn't get hurt. "

With a small sigh, Robin nodded. "Sure, you can talk to our captain after this battle is over," Once that was said, the Plegian turned and started walking towards the battlefield.

Lucina was sticking to him like a shadow, it was better this way when it came to his strategies, keeping her away from the other Shepherds would also prevent any more suspicions from arising.

As the four kept walking, the sound of battle kept drawing closer. "By the way, can I have your names?" Robin asked the newcomers. "Err, except for Gregor, pretty sure that's your name..."

"Yes, name is Gregor!"

"And I'm Nowi!" The small girl answered with a more cheery mood.

Those names were definitely familiar to the white-haired tactician. "Very well, Gregor; escort Nowi to the backlines of that small squadron of knights, tell them that their tactician – Robin – sent you to them."

He heard no complaints from the two, which was a good sign, the last thing Robin wanted was getting them hurt due to not understanding his commands or how the Shepherds moved as a single unit.

Lucina and Robin halted at the outskirts of the battle, the latter of the two telling the new members that this was their chance to move towards the backlines where it was safe.

Once they left, Robin started planning their approach. "It seems we have managed to secure the village nearest to the oasis, but the leader has retreated to the other side of it, behind the skull."

An Earth Dragon's skeleton rested around the spring water, it was giving the Grimleals cover from their Pegasus Knights and range attackers.

"What do you suppose we do then?" Lucina eyed the field, attempting to make some sort of strategy of her own.

"Ambush them from the side, you and I," Robin said casually.

The female foreseer looked at him. "What? Such a plan is extremely risky."

This made the tactician smile. "Your speed and my magic will be more than enough to scatter their ranks, our goal won't be taking them all down, but rather, it'll be letting the Shepherds have a chance of running them down and ending the fight swiftly."

Lucina, upon eyeing the fight once more, was now able to notice that all momentum was lost, thus giving the Plegian mages a huge advantage over the exposed Shepherds.

"You see it now, correct?" Robin didn't need an answer, but he was happy to see that she was on the same page as him, Lucina – just like Chrom – had a knack for being a leader and knew basic strategies.

She nodded at his question. "Know that I'll have your back then,"

"Good! I wouldn't have it any other way." Robin led the charge, running towards the enemy backlines as fast as he could before they noticed.

Right when Lucina followed him, some of the Cult members noticed their presence and turned fire, conjuring spells as they aimed at the incoming duo.

"Lucina, go!" Robin's mind raced against time as he conjured his own spells in order to counter any Anima-Magic coming their way.

The tactician's spells collided with the foe's and caused an explosion, covering the field in a smokescreen and temporally limiting the enemy's field of vision. Lucina, taking full advantage of this, sprinted into the haze, she had already memorized where her foes last stood.

"Wind!" Robin cleared the field, revealing two enemy mages on the ground, Lucina gave them a swift and painless death.

Said princess was up ahead, fighting an enemy swordsmen, a mercenary to be exact. "Why are the Grimleal here?" Robin searched for any clues, but the only thing that came to mind was the ancient dragon bones.

Suddenly, a roar was heard, Robin flinched from its might and turned his head towards the sound. What he saw was nothing more but a great surprise.

A mystical glowing dragon with yellow scales – tinted green in some edges – appeared seemingly out of nowhere, it flew towards the Grimleals and started spitting out spheres of blue light that exploded upon contact.

A distorted voice could be heard coming from the dragon, despite their mouth not moving. "Just leave me alone!" Robin instantly recognized it as Nowi's and she didn't sound happy at all.

"Is that a Manakete..?" Such a sight was enough for Robin to remember about the ancient race, how their powers were sealed away into Dragonstones, only which they can activate and turn into the mystical beast known as dragons.

"How dare you ruin my plans for master Grima's revival!" A scrawny old man approached Robin, he wore some type of headwear with the Grimleal mark, alongside his dark mage attire.

"You're a high priest of the Grimleal cult," Robin said while ignoring the bitter taste in his tongue for knowing such a thing. "Who are you, and why are you here!?"

The priest let out a raspy laugh. "My name is Chalard, the one and only who shall revive master Grima!" He then pointed at the Manakete who was flying around. "That girl, yes, she's important for Master Grima's revival."

"... Why do I have the feeling that I know exactly what you're thinking." Robin let a hand slip onto his tome, fingers gently touching its cover as his mind chanted a spell.

Chalard laughed once more. "Once I get rid of all of you, I'll sacrifice the girl and offer her blood to our master!" Upon saying that, the priest lifted both arms dramatically, lifting his red cape with his right arm.

Instantly, alarms were set off in Robin's head, and it was at that moment that his eyes caught a glimpse of something being held in the man's hand, it was almost completely obscured by his cape.

"Now, perish fool!" The Grimleal Priest shouted as a purple ring of light encased the tactician, it let loose a dark miasma and blinded Robin.

Not wasting any time, Robin forced himself to roll to the side, casting an Elthunder as soon as he landed on a knee.

Chalard simply took a small step to the side, for the spell was off its mark by a considerable amount. "Don't be too hasty now," He held the tome forward with both hands.

Numerous rings of light appeared from all sides, Robin's eyes widen, it wasn't possible to cast this many spells at once. Emerald sigils of light danced around the tactician, he imagined a bubble of wind protecting him from all sides and sent a prayer for that power to manifest itself, all while chanting ancient words.

Once the spell was ready, Robin lifted a hand above his head. "Rexcalibur!" A large ring of light surrounded the tactician, summoning a barrier of wind that extended outwards, protecting its caster from any harm as the foe's magic bounced off.

"Oho? Such an impressive display of magic!" Chalard smiled with intrigued eyes.

Robin gasped for air as he watched the man summon even more magical gates. "I need back up!" The tactician shouted, hoping his words would catch the ears of his comrades.

However, Robin noticed something strange. "Has the naive boy finally noticed?" Chalard taunted with a wicked laugh.

"Where is everyone!?" Robin saw that he was completely alone, even the Grimleals had disappeared, only the high priest and himself remained.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" His opponent kept laughing, causing Robin's blood to start boiling.

"Answer me!" With a swipe of his hand, Robin summoned an Arcthunder above the priest's head.

Chalard simply snapped his fingers, summoning a gate above himself, it was enough to block the Tactician's Anima-Magic while summoning his Elder-Magic. "Face your fears!"

The gate summoned a cloud of miasma, however, it had the shape of a hand – it kept stretching outwards until it was almost able to grab the now dodging tactician.

Robin couldn't comprehend what was going on, his mind was racing – trying to solve the puzzle at hand – while he kept dodging the seemingly living cloud.

 _"Why didn't you save her?"_ A voice echoed in the tactician's head. _"It's all your fault, she was supposed to live."_

 _'W-Who was that..?'_ Robin looked around anytime his pursuer missed an attack, but he saw no one.

More and more voices started speaking to him in his head, it then shifted to shouts of sorrow and anger, accompanied by the sound of rain. A sharp pain in his head caused the tactician to lose his balance and fall to the ground, it was at that moment that the tactician regained one of his worse memories.

Robin could hear Chalard's laughter, a strong sense of fear was starting to consume him.

* * *

Lucina noticed the lack of magical support, she glanced back after pushing her opponent back. She saw Robin standing there, in a defensive position, as he was about to dodge to the side at any moment.

"Face me, will ya!?" The mercenary engaged with the princess once more, forcing Lucina to guard a horizontal slash.

"Fine, make sure to keep up!" Lucina grits her teeth as she increased the speed of her strikes with each hit; spinning in place and going for an overhead strike, followed by two precise slashes that went for her opponent's neck, all of it was calculated.

Upon losing so much ground, the mercenary took a few steps back in order to regain his balance; punishing this, Lucina tossed Falchion into the air and jumped, spinning back down as her body blocked out the sun.

Her opponent hesitated, not knowing whether to dodge or block the attack, which ultimately led to his demise.

Her opponent's body fell to the ground as she stood back up from her end position. "Robin!" Lucina rushed over to his side without hesitation.

Reaching with a hand, Lucina attempted to grab the tactician. " _N-No, stay back!_ " He suddenly shouted and jumped out of her reach.

"What are talking about? It's me, Robin-" She saw tears running down his cheeks, his eyes were dull and distant, these symptoms weren't new to the future princess.

Knowing what was wrong, Lucina chased the white-haired man and kept trying to grab him, it was the only way to break the spell's curse and bring him back to reality before it was too late. "Listen to me, Robin! You're under the effects of the _Waste_ spell!"

Robin slowed down slightly, her voice seemed to almost be enough to break the illusion of his worse fears chasing him. Such a spell was strong enough to allow dark mages to take down the strongest of warriors back in her timeline, especially since it left them wide open for another attack.

"You can't save him now!" Chalard made his presence known.

Lucina turned towards the voice, her eyes narrowed as she saw the head priest laughing at the scene. "You did this?" She glanced back at Robin, who was still running away from something only he could see.

Chalard smiled wide. "Grima's power did this, I'm only following his wishes."

Not asking any more questions, Lucina turned to the priest and pointed Falchion at him. "I'll appreciate it if you surrender then," She demanded coldly.

However, the priest had other plans in mind, and it was made apparent once he raised a hand and conjured the same spell that cursed Robin. Lucina dodged with ease and sprinted forward at half her usual speed, she carried Falchion loosely to the side, letting the tip cut the sand as she ran.

Chalard thought he could summon another spell – point blank – due to this. "Fool, now you'll die as well!"

Once the old man raised an arm, Lucina increased her speed in a blink of her eye and closed the gap between them in a heartbeat.

"Perish." Lucina's whisper was followed by the sound of her blade slashing the man's arm clean off with an upswing, she allowed her body to spin with the blade's momentum, ending the man's agony with a second attack.

Taking a couple of steps back, Lucina saw another life leave the world behind her mask. "If it's to save someone else, I must endure the guilt that I feel," She reassured herself quietly before focusing on her previous goal.

The lost tactician kept yelling and running, he was more than afraid at this point. "Robin, snap out of it!" Lucina's voice made the man flinch slightly, but he kept his distance from her.

With a spring to her step, Lucina dashed in and managed to tackle the tactician to the ground, she held him tight as Robin struggled in her arms. "L-Let go, let go, let go! I didn't want to do it!" His nonsensical words were ignored by the princess' resolve to bring him back.

"You're safe, it wasn't your fault, come back to us, Robin," Lucina whispered as her bear hug didn't falter.

Such words seemed to work, for Robin's movement became sluggish, it wasn't long till he lost the willpower to fight back. "I'm sorry Chrom," Robin suddenly muttered out.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Lucina responded while pulling him and herself up, so they could sit instead of laying on the ground.

The tactician's eyes were still dark and half opened, but he was responding to Lucina's voice now. "I got her killed.., it's my fault."

"Got who killed, Robin?" Lucina kept her act up, it was the least she could for the man, especially since she was experienced with this sort of curse.

"Your sister, Emmeryn, died because of me. How are you not angry? Why are you giving me a fake smile!?" Surprised by his words, Lucina hesitated to speak, which caused Robin to frown. "I knew it, you _are_ angry at me."

Was he reliving his previous life experiences? Lucina could only wonder as she did her best to answer him. "Of course not, Robin, she is still alive..."

Silence washed over the two once Lucina said those words - seconds turned into minutes - Robin stayed in Lucina's warm embrace in silence. The battle around them had died down, and the Shepherds have won, but none of that mattered for these two.

Lucina was still trying to figure out what in the world happened to Robin in his so-called _previous life,_ while the tactician slowly regained his senses.

"L-Lucina..?" Robin finally muttered out.

The masked swordswoman lets go of the man, she was trying to see his amber eyes – which had regained its original light. "Thank Naga you're back," She gasped out with a small smile.

A couple of footsteps drew their attention. "Um, I didn't want to interrupt what is going on, but it seems you're done," Chrom said awkwardly.

Robin and Lucina stood up, the latter of the two explaining what had happened. "Luckily he returned to his senses." The princess finished.

Many of the Shepherds nodded in understanding, some of them even fearing the Plegian mages for having the ability to do such a thing. "Lissa," Chrom continued. "Mind checking if he suffered any wounds?"

"Well, I'll try.., I can only patch up physical injuries though." The cleric approached their tactician and went straight to work.

As for Robin, he could only stand there as he thought about what had happened. _'So it was a curse... Yet what I saw felt so real.'_

Lissa lowered her stave, and along with it, the blue calming light disappeared. "Nothing out of the ordinary, Robin's health was left untouched."

Chrom nodded. "Best we get back on track with a certain topic," He then looked at Gregor. "You said Robin sent you to us, right?"

"Yes, Gregor would like to join small group, if the wee one is joining them." The mercenary crossed his arms and smiled so brightly that it rivaled the sun.

Nowi took a step forward and nodded. "If it lets me not go back to that auction block, then I'll definitely join!"

"Wait," Lissa gasped. "You've been sold? Like a... like a Slave?!"

The Manakete nodded and pouted. "To men more despicable than you can possibly imagine! They forced me to transform and do tricks for them, all while they drank and laugh."

The youngest of Ylissean royal family was not happy to hear that. "What kind of scumbags buy and sell a little girl!?"

"She may be little, milady," Frederick continued. "But not nearly so young as you might think, for Manaketes live for a very long time."

Lissa was filled with curiosity after hearing this. "Really? Then just how old are you?" She asked the green-haired girl.

Nowi pondered for a bit. "Hmm.., I dunno. Maybe a thousand-ish..? Yeah, a thousand and something! But hey, look, I have no wrinkles."

"Whoa, seriously?" Lissa couldn't believe her eyes, she just had to observe Nowi up close after hearing that.

Robin could see a strong bond forming between the two girls already. "Maybe she didn't need our help after all," The tactician voiced out. "In fact, we could actually use such strength in our favor."

Frederick nodded in agreement. "The dragonkin are said to be more resilient than men, and we all saw her abilities in combat, a small wonder as to why the Grimleal wanted her."

"Everyone," Chrom interrupted everyone's conversations. "We'll rest up here for now, so set up camp near the oasis so we can move out tomorrow morning."

Lucina walked up next to the tactician. "Are we close to the Plegian castle?"

"Yes," Robin continued. "We should arrive there before the sun reaches the highest point.., and save Emmeryn of course."

Lucina noticed something odd upon hearing the tactician say that, it was as if he was reassuring himself more then anything. _'Robin.., he was apologizing for Emmeryn's death...'_ The princess decided that now wasn't the time to ask what was wrong, but kept it in mind for later today.

 _ **...**_

The camp had been properly set up, and once the war tent was ready for use, Robin already found himself inside – formulating many strategies for the upcoming battle.

Many things circled his mind, especially the recent experience with the curse. _'W-Why didn't you prevent it?'_ A voice echoed in his mind once more, making him drop his pen abruptly as he clutched his head in pain.

"D-Damn it all..," Robin knew Emmeryn died now, and it was starting to take a toll on him.

More memories flashed through his head, Chrom's fake smile that tried to reassure the tactician that it was fine, Lissa secretly crying during the nights in the medical tent, Frederick wanting to take his own life for failing as a knight; all of it haunted him now.

 _"Damn it all!"_ Robin shouted at the top of his lungs, standing up in a quick motion that sent his chair flying back as he slammed a fist on the table.

His actions led to someone opening the tent flaps. "... Robin," Lucina stood at the entrance, hand grasping Falchion's hilt in case an intruder was there.

Robin's bangs covered his downcast eyes, his heart was beating rapidly, anger was threatening to escape his clutches. "I'm sorry," He replied to his name weakly before turning and picking up the chair.

The worried princess fully stepped into the war tent, approaching the table slowly and observing his work quietly.

Dedication; was the single word that crossed Lucina's mind as she saw countless pieces of papers with markings and names on it, each symbol represented the name of the Shepherds. Upon closer inspection, some of the names would be assigned to specific areas but would be crossed out in the end.

"Those are failures," Robin answered before she questioned it. "A shepherd has the risk of being killed in that scenario, and so the plan is a failure."

Lucina nodded slowly and gingerly grabbed one of the many hand-made drawings of the battlefield, she saw her fake name, Marth, on one of the pieces of paper. This one had also considered her death and was quickly labeled as a _failure._

 _"Ow..."_ Robin's groan caused the bluenette to look up at him.

"Robin, your hand..!" She walked around the table and over to his side, Robin had managed to mess up his left hand badly.

"It's fine, I'll get it healed in a bit... I'm just not in the mood to face any blue-bloods around here."

His words stung Lucina's heart a bit, but she had an idea as to why he would distance himself now. "It'll be different this time Robin,"

"I'm not so sure about that," The tactician looked down at his lap, where he clutched his left hand in pain. "Not a single idea or reason has crossed my mind that says why Emmeryn dies. My strategies are flawless, every Shepherd will be able to escape and survive the whole ordeal alongside rescuing the Exalt.., and yet I doubt myself..."

"Your fears, or rather, your regrets summoned by the curse made you remember something terrible," Lucina knew, even if the white-haired Plegian didn't want her to know, she was there when he said it.

"I was talking to you, wasn't I?" Robin caught on as to why the princess knew.

Lucina nodded gently, putting a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him that things will be alright. "That spell, it attacks your fears and deepest regrets, it makes you relive them – such a thing was incredibly potent back in my time."

Robin looked up at her, his eyes were glistening, a sign of fighting back tears. "Does that mean that they were real?"

"I'm afraid so," Lucina took a step back and let out a sigh. "Grimleals would use it to target the leaders of a nation, kingdom, or even dukedom; causing chaos and an unspeakable amount of issues during the resistance against Grima's army of the undead."

"Doesn't that mean you were attacked by it as well?"

"Yes, quite a few times, but I was always surrounded by close friends who helped me gain my senses back, that's why I knew what to do when I saw you under its effects."

The tactician stared at his feet once more. "Such a spell.., I'm glad you were able to help me get out of its clutches."

"It is the least I can do, being called insane isn't something one should experience," This time, Lucina found the floor more interesting.

There was no doubt that Lucina was referring to the leaders – maybe even herself – who were most likely accused of being crazy, and being thrown into a dungeon, or maybe even suffered a worse fate due to it.

Robin stood up. "I should get this healed then; before Lissa scolds me all night."

Lucina didn't respond, she didn't felt the need to, so she quietly observed him head to the exit.

"Lucina," He looked over his shoulder before leaving and gave the woman a brave smile. "I'll do everything in my power to prevent the Exalt's death."

The princess didn't get the chance to respond, for the tactician left swiftly. "I'm aware of that, Robin," She looked at the table that was still littered with his strategies. "I'm sure everyone around you, knows that."

* * *

 **AN: Well this was a tricky chapter, I bet it would have been a lot easier if I didn't separate this and the previous one. The following chapter will be a long one, so it'll be expected to go up two weeks from now, _around Monday,_ cause hey! I missed my deadline by two days, haha... Sorry about that by the way, certain things have higher priority then this hobby of mine, mainly my studies; plus you guys don't deserve a sloppy and rushed chapter.**

 _Sidenote:_

I changed the Waste spell, mostly because I didn't want to write a double hitting hyper-aggressive spell that is somehow easy and quick to cast. In turn, I decided to tie the new spell with Grima's lore, and how it was made to break the minds of humans that stood in his way, and in return, also left they wide open for any further attacks - hence the part as to why Waste can double an opponent.

Let me know _what you think_ about these changes, should I continue mixing some spells up for the sake of a logical story - instead of following the limitations of a game element - or just refrain from any further changes.

And of course, I adore reading your reactions and favorite parts, it never fails to bring a smile to my face!

 _Until next time~!_


	14. Chapter 14: The Wish Of Many

_**Chapter 14: The Wish Of Many.**_

Sunlight crept through a small gap in Robin's tent, it perfectly hit the tactician's eyes and caused him to stir in his sleep and ultimately woke him up.

Slowly – as to not hurt his back – he sat up and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "What time is it..?" He muttered out, soon noticing that his left hand didn't feel natural, which caused him to stare at it with a drowsy stare.

Robin's left hand was covered with a white bandage, such a sight was enough for him to recall how the injury happened. "... I mustn't let my emotions get the best out of me," Slamming his fist on the table in such a way kinda scared him, it was as he wasn't himself during that moment. "What kind of tactician lets them fly out like that..."

Lissa made sure to give him one heck of a scolding when Robin presented it to her. Such a shame that healing magic only speeds up the process in which the body takes in healing itself, and in the tactician's case, it would take a day or two for his hand to fully recover properly.

With a small sigh, Robin got up and dressed, the hot dry climate of the desert was starting to pick up once more as the sun raised; Shepherds could be heard outside, moving about and getting things ready.

"Best if I pack my stuff this very instant," Robin glanced around, only a couple of books scattered around the sandy interior could be seen, alongside his small bedroll, and bag – which he stored his personal belongings in.

As if on cue, someone knocked on the small wooden board that the Shepherds usually hung near the entrance of their tents. "Robin," Frederick's voice was loud and clear. "Are you awake?"

"If I wasn't, I'm sure your voice would have been enough to wake me." Robin swiftly countered.

Frederick spread the flaps aside, allowing even more harsh sunlight to pour in – blinding the tactician slightly – before continuing to speak. "We're to move out in a couple of minutes, but I see that you're already working on packing, so I shall excuse myself now."

Once the Knight left, the lighting of the interior darkened as Robin glanced down at his right hand. "Aren't I glad that I bought these gloves.., thankfully it was my left hand that got hurt and not my right one, or else Lissa would have seen the mark." He snapped out of his small trance and kept packing, doing his best to ignore his racing mind.

After the tactician was finished with getting ready, he slowly tracked through the sand with his belongings in hand, heading straight for the respective convoy. Luckily, a familiar face was managing the items for all the Shepherds.

"Greetings, Robin," Cordelia's head perked up from her clipboard as she noticed the white-haired man approach her station. "Here, let me help."

Robin gladly accepted her offer and allowed the Pegasus knight pack his stuff neatly inside the wagon. "Thank you, Cordelia," He saw some Shepherds carrying blue banners. "Hopefully the plan works out."

The red-hair knight smiled, but her eyes glanced at his injured hand. "I'm sure it will, but it seems like everyone is a bit nervous," She decided to ignore it by redirecting her gaze to his eyes once he stared back at her.

"I wouldn't blame them,"

"And you?"

Robin let his eyes wander to the side slightly, giving him a small view of the horizon. "I am mostly stressed out to be completely honest."

A strong breeze blew by, Robin's vision was obscured by a sea of crimson hair during it. "Let us carry out that burden together then, everyone in the Shepherds would agree on doing so."

Once the wind died down, Robin searched for the Knight's eyes, and they were indeed gleaming with determination. "Heh, you're nothing like the Cordelia I first met."

This was enough for her to lift an eyebrow. "Really? Well, it would be nice if you could enlighten me as to why you would say such a thing."

She watched him ponder for a few seconds – eyes closed and a hand holding his chin – before he spoke up with softening eyes. "You just seem stronger now.., wiser even."

For Cordelia, it was nice to hear that she was improving on something, in oppose to just hearing that she was amazing and needed zero improvements. "You're just saying that," But she was still quite modest.

"Trust me, I wouldn't waste time complimenting others just to get on their good side." Robin was completely serious, it was easy to tell due to his facial expression.

"I suppose so," Cordelia glanced behind the tactician. "Looks like we're moving out now."

This caused Robin to turn and notice how Frederick was ordering others to march. "Yeah, best if I move into position then, we need to get going as fast as we can."

* * *

 _Location: West of the Plegian Castle's outlook._

"L-Libra, our Wards won't keep up with their dark magic for long!" A clergyman shouted from their front ranks.

Libra, the War Monk of the group, observed the field with his sharp green eyes, his comrades kept praying with staves in hand in order to counter the enemy fire.

"Very well, it seems like I must fight for our own safety.., may the Gods watch over us." The Saint unsheathed a Darksteeled-Axe, mostly known as the Killer-Axe for its deadly silver edges.

Many men of the cloth were wounded and were currently being treated, their only line of defense against the Grimleals were their Wards. However, this was a losing battle for them, for exhaustion was starting to take its toll.

"Friends, hold these lines and counter their dark magic with our light, I shall fight till I can no longer stand." Libra's fellow clergymen kept praying as they heard his words, not daring to open their eyes as their leader charged into the fray, lest they wanted to be blasted away by the Grimleals.

The wind was pushing against the War Monk, his long blonde-hair flowing back was a testament to that, but he ignored it and kept tracking through the sand as fast as possible; dark magic was flung his way but he was quick to dodge it or dispel it with a prayer.

A Grimleal approached Libra and shot Fire Magic at his feet, forcing the Priest to dodge and roll safely to the side. This small opening was enough for more mages to target the Saint, all of their magical spells being flung at once in order to secure a swift kill.

Libra closed his eyes, bracing himself for his end... However, the pain never came, and the sound of an explosion was heard – Libra opened his eyes – a barrier of light surrounded the blonde-haired man. He needn't look back to know who saved him, all he needed to do was charge forward once more and turn the tides of battle to their favor.

"S-Someone stop him!" A plegian shouted as the Saint closed the distance between them with a raised axe.

"Repent, Sinner!" Libra shouted as he dashed in and slammed his weapon down on his foe, ending their life quickly.

His victory was short-lived, for more magical sigils surrounded the priest, Libra let his axe sink onto the sand and switched to his staff. "In Naga's name..." A bright green light encased the man of the cloth and protected him from the Elder-Magic.

Libra could feel his stamina being drained by the second, never had the man fought this hard and for so long his entire life.

"Oi, get lost will ya!?" A Plegian with his sword in hand charged forward, forcing the Saint to switch back to his melee weapon.

Libra blocked a blow with the side of his Killer-Axe, he kicked his foe back and put him in striking range – the Plegian saw this – but sadly missed due to how swift the sword wielder was. Said Ruffian was quick to engage once more and go for a horizontal slash, Libra blocked it with the hilt of his weapon this time, girting his teeth as the blow numbed his arms.

"What's the matter, Ylissean rat!? Forgot how the Axe isn't suitable for blocking?" The Ruffian pushed Libra back and lowered his body, going for a low sweep.

Libra jumped over it, but in that same instant, a circle of light encased him, it wasn't long for the dark spell _Flux_ to land a direct hit and send Libra flying a fair bit of distance back to his allies.

One of the clergymen opened his eyes and gasped in shock. "L-Libra!" His shout of surprise caused others to panic and cease their prayers.

Libra ignored the pain as soon as he realized their dire mistake. "Return to your prayers before it is too late-"

Several magical blows collapsed on the now severely weakened barrier, the faint wall of light started cracking until it shattered completely – as if it was made out of glass.

Taking full advantage of this, the Grimleals barraged them with magic. Libra's ears were filled with screams of agony, his field of vision blocked by the black haze that came with the explosive reactions from the Anima-Magic colliding with each other.

* * *

 _Location: A few miles North-West of the Plegian Courtyard._

Everything was set in motion, the Feroxi Army had finally reached their destination, and just like Robin predicted, the Plegian army was waiting for them.

Khan Flavia stood in front of her proud warriors with a confident smile, her claymore impaled in the sand in front of her, all while facing the Plegian army that stood in their way without fear. "Smell that, oaf!?" She announced to the West-Khan behind her. "The scent of the battlefield excites me!"

Basilio lets out a sigh. "You're crazed, women..." He stared at the army before them with his good eye. "But I agree with you, feels great to be back on the field."

A soldier approached them. "Khan Flavia, our troops are ready to engage the enemy."

Their army was equally, if not bigger, then the Plegian one; Regna Ferox hasn't fought for many years, so all of them were eager to fight once more. "Very well, focus your attacks on their left flank, it seems that their troops aren't well spread and we can take advantage of this – make sure our left side is also slightly weaker."

Basilio watched as the lad left to spread the news. "Huh, sharp eyes you got there... But why break our formations?"

"Might I remind you that we aren't here to defeat every single Plegian, oaf? I plan to make our army and theirs switch places, having their palace to our backs instead, as we slowly retreat to their courtyard and secure an escape route for the Ylisseans."

The West-Khan let out a booming laugh, loud enough for even the Plegian army to hear. "Good thing these Plegian dogs won't stand a chance to Regna Ferox's might!" Basilio shouted this, causing some of their soldiers to perk up and stand taller than ever.

Flavia smiled, she knew what the man was trying to do, and she appreciated it, not that she'll ever admit such a thing. "Indeed, victory shall be ours!" Their Reigning Khan turned to face her army.

Despite the harsh conditions that their troops had to go through, the much-needed rest of yesterday's chilly night was enough to put them back on their feet, and here they stood, not a single soldier looked ready to turn tail at the sight of danger.

"Warriors of Regna Ferox," Flavia's voice was loud and clear, not even the desert's wind could drown it. "Today we stand as one, to protect those in need, and to prove how strong we're to the entire continent! We _will_ single handily mold this war into our favor!"

The soldiers roared in agreement, such a sight would intimidate any opposing opponent. "Now tell me," Flavia continued. "Who is going to represent Regna Ferox's might!?"

All at once, the entire army shouted in unison. _"We will be her steel!"_

Flavia turned and face the Plegian army, holding her sword up with a single hand while pointing it at her foes. _'Heh, those Plegians are probably terrified of us by now,'_ She swallowed her pride for now and prepared to give the command to charge. "With me my brothers and sisters! _Charge!"_

With a war cry, the Feroxi army charged forward, something that the Plegian general wasn't going to let go unpunished. "Mages, take aim and scatter their ranks!"

Their voices sang the ancient words of the sealed power inside the tomes, creating a massive amount of magical sigils above the Plegian army, pointing straight at the Feroxeans. Such spells were indeed enough to scatter the Feroxi ranks, but they quickly regained their original momentum; as if nothing was going to prevent them from running the Plegian's through.

"Sir!" The Plegian messenger was worried at this point, looking at their general as if they had the answer for anything.

"We'll charge forward, attack their left side, it seems to be weaker than the rest!" Unfortunately for the Plegian leader, this is exactly what Flavia was hoping for.

* * *

 _Location: Plegian Courtyard_

A man in a brown coat sneaked into the Plegian castle, the Mad-king's words echoed through the halls as he crept in the shadows. "Man, Bubbles better pay me extra after this..." Gaius looked around for a second before sprinting down the hallway with barely audible footsteps.

The Shepherds were in position, but they needed to free the Ylissean Royal Guards as part of Robin's plan. Such a mission would be carried out alone by Gaius, the agilest and quiet one of the group when it came to this type of fieldwork.

Gangrel's voice was still very much audible, most likely due to the work of wind magic. "Good people!" The man-king spoke out. "Your anticipation electrifies the air!"

A crowd cheered in response, it disgusted the thief greatly. "Why would anyone want to hurt the Exalt..?" He whispered out as he searched for the right path.

"We all remember the crimes of Ylisse," Gangrel continued. "Would you have their witch-queen answer for them? Here? Today and now!?"

The Plegian citizens roared in agreement, as Gangrel laughed in glee. "Finally, we shall have justice!"

Gaius reached a corner – peeking carefully – and spotted a knight that overlooked the courtyard via a balcony. "... Sorry bud," The sugar-addict took a few steps back before running at full speed, kicking off a nearby wall and soaring through the air

His movements caused the Knight to glance to the side but spotted nothing. "Must have been my imagination-!?"

A dagger was shoved down the knight's back as Gaius landed behind him. "One guard down at least, hope that helps Blue and Bubbles," He took the time to look out the balcony, Gangrel was still cheering with the crowd as the Exalt was slowly being pushed towards the edge.

"Executioner _!_ If you would be so kind..!" Gangrel's command was just the signal the Shepherds needed.

Robin's voice was heard from afar. "Virion! _Now_!"

Gaius smiled as he saw an arrow perfectly nail the Executioner in the head. "Heh, best if I hurry then," The thief popped another piece of candy in his mouth before continuing his work.

Meanwhile, back at the Plegian Courtyard, Chrom gave the command to march into view. "Shepherds! Take out the Plegian soldiers first, ignore the citizens if possible! We'll take care of the Mad-King himself after we're done!"

Gangrel, after hearing this, wasn't going to stand there in silence. "Oh, will you now!? Bwahaha! We've been expecting you, Little Prince!" The Mad-King looked at his men that surrounded the Castle walls. "Men: Kill him. Kill his sister. Kill his troops and his friends; anyone else you find as well, slaughter them all!"

Robin's stomach turned upside down as the innocent Plegians ran away in horror; as if the Ylisseans were truly evil and the cause of everything bad that has happened to them. "That damn king and his twisted words," He muttered out.

"Is something wrong..?" A calm voice spoke out next to him, Lucina was by his side once more, this fight will possibly be the last battle that will determine the outcome of this war.

The tactician was glad that Lucina was by his side for such a battle. "I just can't help but feel awful – both sides have a different story to tell.., and yet we both fell victim to the same snake. In the end, Ylisse and Plegia aren't too different."

Lucina didn't respond immediately, instead, she unsheathed Falchion and steeled herself. "Best we move forward and slay that snake then,"

Robin took one last look at the Exalt who was watching from above. "Yes, let us commence our mission." He pulled out a tome from his concealing coat, holding it tightly with his right hand.

Many of the Shepherds were already fighting, their synergy was outstanding that day, for their hearts resonated with each other as they all wanted the same thing: Save Emmeryn.

The duo, that was Robin and Lucina, charged into the fray and engaged a Mage and Swordsman. "I'll get the mage!" Robin voiced out as he conjured a spell.

Lucina wasted no time in dashing in and intercepting the sword wielder, her movements were fluid; as if she was performing a dance; Robin followed up with her movements and shot a spell at her foe.

Before the Anima-Magic hit the Plegian, the enemy mage countered with his own spell, forcing both sides to dodge the explosion that came after that.

"Elwind!" Robin dispersed the smokescreen while sending a crescent blade towards the enemy mage.

The Plegian mage countered this. "Arcfire!"

"Marth, now!" Following the tactician's orders, the future princess seemingly vanished from view and reappeared a couple of a feet ahead – right in front of the surprised mage – taking out the spell-caster in a single blow.

A war cry was heard, Robin turned to be greeted with a blade, which he barely blocked with his own blade, entering a deadlock by force. "H-How dare you!" The Plegian grunted with rage as he was starting to overpower the tactician, due to the latter holding his weapon with one hand.

"Just surrender.., I don't want to hurt, you!" Robin gritted his teeth and pushed the man back, he tossed his blade and forced the Plegian soldier to dodge even further. "Take this, Thunder!"

Robin's attack wasn't enough, the Plegian Soldier let himself fall on his back and avoid the spell, before jumping back on his feet. "Forgot about me!?" Lucina attacked from the side, her strike was swiftly blocked, but she distracted the Plegian long enough for Robin to switch back to his tome.

"Heads up!" Robin announced his presence, signaling to Lucina to dodge to the side. "Elthunder!"

The spell nailed the soldier right in the chest, knocking the man out cold, the duo quickly rushed over to the front line, they had to keep moving forward.

Two shadows flew past them, Cordelia and Sumia had arrived. "Prince Chrom, Robin!" Cordelia reported back to them alongside the brunette. "Regna Ferox are in position, our route is secured, however, Plegian reinforcements - Wyvern Riders to be exact - are coming from the east!"

Chrom – who retreated from the battle for now – nodded as he looked at his tactician. "What do you suppose we do?"

"Split the Shepherds up, we'll leave our more defensive units behind alongside our mages and archer; they need to hold and guard our backs while we secure the courtyard."

Chrom gestured to the pegasus knights to deliver the message, which they swiftly did by riding their steeds on the ground for now. "So we're to continue marching down this path, Robin?" Chrom was speaking of their trump cards.

Robin responded with his trademark smile. "Nowi and Panne are going to create a great amount of chaos very soon."

"Milord," Frederick approached them in a hurry – he pulled the reins of his horse and made it stand on its hind legs. "Someone is in trouble – that way!"

Chrom followed the direction of where Frederick pointed with his spear. "By the Gods, you're right!"

Robin strained his eyes and also spotted someone single handily fighting enemy mages. "Frederick, follow the plan, we'll go save them!" Their tactician was quick to send the order, none of them disagreed.

Lucina, Robin, and Chrom ran over to the mysterious fighter, any enemy of the Plegian army was currently their ally. "Hey, back off!" The prince shouted as he ran up to a distracted enemy soldier.

This, in turn, caused the other Plegians to redirect their fire towards the Shepherds. "I'll give you guys cover!" Robin conjured a wind spell and blocked an incoming arrow.

"Allow me to be of any assistance," The person they saved readied their staff and helped fight against any dark magic being flung their way, Robin noted how long their blonde hair was, and how pretty their face was.

"May I have your name?" Robin asked kindly as he focused on countering another spell.

"Libra, a man of the cloth..."

This surprised the tactician, he could have sworn that Libra was a woman at a simple glance. "What is someone of your status doing here?"

"When we heard that the Exalt was in danger, we just had to come and rescue her."

"We?"

"Yes, well, I am the only one left – all of my friends fell in battle on our way here."

Robin grimly nodded. "I am sorry to hear that.., we shall avenge them today."

Libra didn't respond, he kept focusing on keeping the Wards up as Lucina and Chrom finished off any melee fighters in the vicinity.

"Wyvern Riders!" One of the Shepherds announced.

The melody of battle was increasing rapidly, Robin was barely keeping up with Plegia's tactics. "Chrom, I'm giving the signal!" Robin faced his palm towards the sky, channeling his magic as much as possible.

Soon, the white-haired tactician's arm was covered in electricity, Robin then pointed a finger towards the clouds up above. Heeding his command, the electricity wired around his limb and climbed up towards his fingertip - into a single point.

Lucina watched in amazement as the tactician was surrounded by golden rings of lights made out of tiny ancient sigils.

With a deep breath, the tactician imagined an arrow of light piercing the sky up above, the hair on the back end of his neck stood up. "... _Thoron!"_ A loud boom was heard as the intense concentration of mana was shot upwards, the sand around Robin was lifted from the force and shot outwards.

Everyone in the vicinity paused what they were doing and watched as the arrow of light split the clouds apart and revealed the blue sky.

Then, at that exact moment, a loud roar was heard. "Are those the Wyvern Riders?" Some of the Plegian soldiers asked each other.

One of them shook their head. "No, it didn't sound like a Wyvern," They stared at the sky for a bit longer.

The roar was heard once more, but this time, a yellow figure appeared – a dragon was descending from the heavens.

"They summoned a dragon of light!?" One of the Plegians shouted, causing panic to stir among their ranks.

Nowi was quick to attack anything that wasn't near a blue banner with the Ylissean crest, sending Plegians running for their lives as they couldn't comprehend what was going on. As if that wasn't enough, Panne was set loose and she ran at anyone who dared attempted to flee the battlefield.

All of this wasn't enough for the Ylisseans to win just yet, they now needed to fend off the Wyvern Riders who were gaining on them from behind, Robin and co needed to reach one of their generals and destroy their chain of command.

Even the Plegian King knew this, but he was observing the fight with a frown at the very moment. "That tactician is filled with tricks up his sleeves, what an annoyance!" Gangrel shouted with a stomp.

Aversa simply giggled. "Yes..." She was holding onto a small wooden box, her hands caressing it gingerly.

Gangrel didn't pay attention to the women, but instead, drew his eyes to a lone spell caster in the distance. "You there! What are doing just musing around!? Go and fight already!"

The dark mage in question turned to look at the king with disinterested eyes but gave a short nod before leaving. "Tsk' what do I care about who wins this, and why would I follow the commands of an unworthy king and get myself killed... But that magic, who used such power? It was... Impressive."

This dark mage approached the front line, only being armed with a simple yellow tome. "What a waste of time this is..." She prepared a spell, but upon locking onto one of the Shepherds, she felt a bit of hesitation; this man she locked onto had white hair and a Grimleal coat.

Robin locked eyes with her and prepared himself, arms spread wide and electricity danced around his entire body. "Stand down," The tactician shouted. "As you can see, I'm rather fired up!"

"You... Why is a man from the cult against us? You know the consequences of betrayal are execution on the spot."

Such words weren't expected, causing Robin to lift an eyebrow in confusion. "Oh, this old thing?" He pinched the sleeve of his coat. "I'm simply using it due to convenience; don't get me wrong, I would never bow down and follow the orders of a Mad-King or crazed Religion."

Now it was the dark mage's turn to look at the tactician with confusion, but then she spotted someone creeping up on the white-haired man, a Plegian soldier with a spear to be exact. "Elthunder!" She flung the spell and nailed the Plegian straight in the chest.

Robin glanced at the unconscious soldier, then back at the Mage, then once more at the Plegian. "W-What..?"

"My name is Tharja, you may thank me later, but I feel as if this war is pointless; honestly, I could care less who wins... My interest lies elsewhere." She said the latter while looking at the tactician, she now knew who unleashed that powerful Thoron.

Robin stared at the jet-black haired mage in confusion but ultimately decided to shake his head and move on. "Marth, I'll be heading up back to fight the Wyvern Riders, don't let anyone hurt this mage."

Lucina came into view, surprising Tharja greatly since the masked swordswoman appeared out of nowhere. "Leave it to me then," She answered before Robin wandered off to help their backlines.

The Shepherd's Tactician made his way through the battlefield, he could see their Knights fighting off the Wyvern Riders with agility and skill, but that didn't mean they were winning easily. Even from afar, Robin could tell that the Ylisseans were having trouble penetrating the Wyvern's tough scales.

A shadow loomed above the white-haired man, alarms were set off in his head as he dodged to the side, Robin barely managed to dodge a Wyvern that attempted to scoop him up.

"T-That was close," Robin followed the Wyvern with his eyes, the beast had dark scales and red armor covering its vital spots, even the tail wielded an Axe head at the tip.

The Wyvern flew around the tactician before halting in front of him, hovering above the ground before landing with a small tremor due to its massive weight. "Impressive dodge, little one..."

"You..!" Robin's eyes widen as he recognized who was in his way. "Orton, we meet again."

"I was hoping you still lived.., ever since I saw how weak you were back at the borders, well, let us just say I was worried I would never get to finish my meal." Orton, the Wyvern General of the Plegian army, pointed his spear at the tactician.

Robin responded by taking a defensive position, holding up his blade with a single hand due to his injury. "If you think I'm going to fall so easily after coming this far, then I'm afraid you have something else coming your way!" Electricity danced around the white-haired man as he said this.

Orton smirked. "Good, show me what you got."

Robin dashed in, the first thing he notices was the Wyvern moving its tail up and down, this time the tactician will be ready for its attack. Orton gave the command, and his trusty steed turned in a swift motion; Robin had a small window to dodge the tail – too small in fact – he resorted to blocking the Axe-head and using the momentum of the blow to retreat.

"As if I won't retaliate!" Robin aim a finger at the top of Orton's head, a golden gate appeared above him as the tactician muttered ancient words.

Orton impaled the gate with his spear, destroying it instantly. "Whoops, was that your spell?" He taunted the surprised Shepherd. "Here, let me return it!"

Instincts told Robin to dodge to the side, his feet automatically moving him to safety as a bolt of lightning came crashing down where he once stood. "What just happened?"

"Wyverns have an edge against physical attacks... Magic on the other hand, well, that's a completely different story. Why wouldn't the General of the Wyvern Riders not carry something to counter that problem?" Orton seemed to be enjoying himself as he watched the look of anger on the tactician's face.

 _'He pierced the magical gate... Is his lance enchanted?'_ Robin scanned the Wyvern-Lord's weapon, the entire shaft was black and covered in white markings that seemed to be sigils of some kind. _'Alright, if he needed to touch my spell to dispel it, then I'll just use long-range attacks this time.'_

Another spell was conjured by the tactician, this time he would cast an Elthunder and attempt throwing the spell at high speeds from afar. Upon launching his attack, Orton countered by spinning the spear above his head and slashing the spell in half, he then allowed the spear to lock into place underneath his arm as he pointed the tip at the tactician.

Yet again, the spell was sent back to its original caster, Robin dodged but then felt the ground shake underneath the weight of Orton's wyvern. The Plegian's mount went for a bite, forcing the tactician to jump back even further and into the rider's striking range.

Robin held his ground as he parried Orton's attack, he proceeded to slash the Wyvern's eye, causing it to roar in pain.

"How dare you!?" The General – now angered – went for an onslaught of attacks, ranging from commanding his steed to bite or turn to hit with its tail, all the way to Orton himself jumping off his steed and fighting on the ground as a last resort.

The Shepherd's tactician was barely able to keep up with the man's attacks as they dueled on the sand. "Tell me, Orton..!" With a grunt, Robin pushed the man away. "Why are you fighting for Gangrel, surely a smart guy like you realizes how insane he truly is!"

Orton narrowed his eyes, his wyvern roaring in anger from behind, ready to protect its master at any second. "Simple, I have nothing left to live for, the previous Exalt made sure of that."

Hearing the General say such a thing with such a casual tone made Robin's blood boil. "Then find something worth fighting for!" He swiped his hand and sent Orton flying back with wind-magic.

"... You're too green to understand, tactician." Orton narrowed his eyes as he saw electricity dancing around Robin's arm, it crawled up to his hand and disappeared at his finger, transforming into a golden circle of light in front of him.

 _'Each person has a different story..,'_ Robin thought to himself as his spell charged up, his body was now surrounded by sigils that formed circles around him. _'I am more then positive that I know how Orton is feeling now, but if I don't stop him, Emmeryn will-'_

The tactician shook his head, deciding it was best not think about the dire outcome that could come, instead, he focused his mana once more. " _Thoron!"_ His coat swayed from the intense force that was summoned forth.

Orton had already commanded his steed to fly away to safety, however, the General himself, stood his ground and pulled his striking arm back with lance in hand; with all of his might the Wyvern Lord threw the spear and challenged the Anima-Spell.

Said enchanted spear pierced through the Thoron spell, but it did little to stop the attack's momentum, Thoron kept flying towards the red-haired man in a weakened state, but it would be enough to end this battle. "My time is up..." Orton smiled to himself as his eyes were blinded by the golden light that clutched his broken heart.

As for Robin, the tactician gasped for air in exhaustion, his outstretched hand falling to his side limply; as his eyes registered the spear that landed right between his legs. _'… Did he..?'_ He realized what Orton attempted to do, and stared at his body.

A roar was heard, Robin forced himself to move out of the way as the angered Wyvern attacked him. Defending himself, Robin mustered the strength to summon an Elwind, the crescent blades of magic pierced the scales of the beast and made it cry in pain.

The wyvern retreated back to its master's unconscious body with a limp, standing protectively above the man while growling at the tactician, warning him not to get closer. Robin respected its wishes and walked away, his ears picked up the sound of a horse galloping his way.

"Robin," Stahl approached the tactician. "We're moving into the courtyard, the skies are clear from enemy Riders!"

Their tactician glanced up at the sky, the clouds were darkening, and the hole he had created was disappearing as a storm was brewing. "Very well, let us go and prepare the signal." Robin – with the help of Stahl – got on the war-horse and rode off to his allies.

Once the duo reached the courtyard's interior, they were greeted by an ongoing battle with another General and his men. "Don't let these Ylisseans scums run us through!" Campari – a veteran of the previous war – ordered and encouraged his men to keep fighting, but it was no use, most of the Shepherds had all the momentum in this fight.

Robin jumped off the horse and approached Lissa, who was healing Lon'qu's arm. "What happened?" He said while standing protectively next to them, making sure no one would sneak up on the busy Cleric.

"A lancer managed to impale his left arm, I'm afraid Lon'qu won't be able to fight for now," Lissa said with an unsteady breath, sweat was falling down her forehead as she did her best to close the wound.

Lon'qu was simply enduring the pain, his eyes were closed shut. "R-Robin," The Feroxi managed to say between grit teeth. "Go help them."

"... Fine," Robin ran and met up with Lucina, who kept up their weight by having Falchion impaled in the ground. "Marth!"

Lucina turned their head weakly, they were gasping for air. "Robin, go help Chrom," She gestured with her head.

Chrom was dueling with two soldiers, the prince looked fierce on the battlefield, showing no intent in stopping as he neared the pinnacle where Emmeryn stood. "Out of my way!" His shouts were accompanied by a flash of his sword, one of his foes fell to his knees.

"Chrom!" Robin paired up with the bluenette and dashed forth with a blade in hand.

The remaining Soldier frowned as he took on both Shepherds, Robin would parry a blow, and leave the Plegian wide open for Chrom's attack – which would scratch or wound their foe greatly.

Robin quickly saw an opening and shot a wind spell across the floor, sweeping the Plegian's feet off the ground; Chrom went in and wounded the man, opting to not kill them instead. "Don't bother standing up, you'll be killed next time." The Ylissean prince warned as he looked up to where the Mad-King stood.

"Ylissean Prince!" Campari approached the duo. "I won't allow you to take a step forward."

Chrom and Robin stood next to each other, the latter already preparing a spell, while the former spoke up. "There is no need for anymore bloodshed, stand aside and let us confront your Mad-King!"

"Mad-King!?" Campari raised his voice – worthy of a man of his status – drowning out the sound of battle around them. "May I be so bold as to remind you what type of Exalt Ylisse had not so long ago!?"

"Chrom, ignore his words-"

"I know Robin," Chrom cut him off as he narrowed his eyes. "I am aware of the mistakes my worthless Father committed, but Emmeryn – our current Exalt – has worked tirelessly all this time in order to bring peace to the realm."

Campari scoffed at this. "Peace!? Ylisse is the last Kingdom in the continent that deserves to use such a word!" The armored General readied their Silver lance.

Falchion was raised, Chrom didn't look happy at all, but Robin could sense an aura of maturity washing over him; Emmeryn's presence must have had an impact on him. "With me, Robin!" Chrom dashed in with his tactician.

General Campari hunkered down his shield, he took Falchion head-on while thrusting his lance outwards and forcing Chrom to back away; Robin swiftly punished this with an uncharged Thunder attack, numbing the General's senses for a second or so before filling the man with rage.

Chrom went in for another attack, however, Campari was ready this time and spun in place with his lance outwards. The prince ducked underneath by sliding onto his knees – least he wanted to be decapitated – putting himself in a terrible spot right underneath's the armored Knight's shield.

Before Campari slammed down his shield on Chrom's head, Robin dashed in and tackled the armored man with his shoulder. The impact was enough to numb Robin's entire right arm, but he ignored the pain for now and defended the prince as he stood up.

"Allow me, Robin!"

Chrom ran past the tactician, two horizontal strikes landed on the Plegian's shield – Campari went for a counter by lowering his defense – Chrom didn't stop and followed up with a third strike, catching the general off-guard as the prince spun in place and slammed Falchion down, forcing the General to block it with his armored shoulder.

"That move..!" Robin recognized it as the same attack Lucina pulled off in Arena Ferox against the prince, Chrom was following the momentum of his blade perfectly.

Campari wasn't going to fall easily - he waited for Chrom to slip up - waiting until the Prince attacked with an overhead strike once more.

They moved around each other until Chrom did indeed repeat himself, the General took advantage of this and allowed the Prince's blade to slide off his shield, causing Chrom's posture to crumble as he lowered himself to the ground unexpectedly.

Robin – eyes widening – charged up an emergency Elwind as he watched the Plegian General muster the strength to lift up his right foot and kick Chrom straight in the face; using the momentum of his own kick, Campari was about to pierce the dazed Prince with his lance.

Suddenly, a blur zoomed by, Lucina appeared in front of the prince and impaled her own sacred blade into the General's rib cage. Campari gasped out in shock - pain overcame his senses – and stumbled back while dropping his shield to clutch his wound.

"Marth..." Chrom just fully registered the turn of events.

"D-Don't let your guard down," Lucina gasped out as she fell to her knees. "Finish him off for me."

The Ylissean Prince looked back at the General, he stood there while clutching his spear with both hands, blood was flowing down his mouth. "N-No, I won't fail again..!" The Plegian positioned himself; throwing his weapon straight at Chrom.

"Elwind!" Robin countered the spear and sent it off-course.

Not wasting the opportunity, Chrom dashed in and finished off the General with one last blow, impaling the Plegian knight in the chest. "K-Killing me will only feed Plegia's... Rage..." Campari took a step back and stumbled; falling to the ground as his last breath escaped his mouth.

Ignoring his words, Chrom glanced up the stairs where Gangrel observed from, the King's angered expression – mix with desperation – made the Ylissean prince grin. "Robin, are the skies clear?"

"Yes, they are." Their tactician ran up next to the prince.

"Send the signal then, let us not waste any time."

Following his orders, Robin ordered a nearby Miriel to let her creation fly, the scholar-mage took out a red tome with golden lining. She summoned a spell while aiming towards the skies, a circle appeared above her before it shot forth a blue flare of light.

Everyone in the courtyard observed how the fireball soared high before exploding; illuminating the entire battlefield under its light.

Before long, the sound of numerous wings flapping could be heard. Robin's face lit up as he saw three whole Squadrons of Pegasus Knights diving down from the cover of the clouds.

Sumia led four Knights on Dark-Furred Pegasi, Cordelia another, even Captain Phila was leading a group with her own new steed – Gaius had managed to find the captured Ylissean knights and steal from dark-fliers.

King Gangrel was pulling his hair out, his teeth grinding. "P-Pegasus Knights!? How in the world did they slip by our watchtowers?!"

Robin allowed himself to smirk, his plan of making everyone distracted by a certain Manakete worked out. Plegian archers and mages alike were far too focus keeping the Manakete at bay, not allowing Nowi to land was their focus at the time – not some random group of Pegasus Knights that flew behind the cover of the clouds.

In truth, Robin's Thoron was a signal for both Nowi, and for the Pegasus Knights to switch places. "Looks like someone couldn't keep up with the tempo of war," Robin taunted the Plegian King and Aversa.

Gangrel turned his head towards the White-haired man. "That tactician does _not_ play fair at all!"

Aversa took a step forward just as the Pegasus Knights approached the Exalt – Captain Phila was extending a hand for Emmeryn to get on. "Neither do I..." The tanned-woman set down a wooden box, kicking it down the set of stairs.

However, this didn't go unnoticed by the Tactician's sharp eyes. Memories flashed in and out of reality with each bounce the box did. Something inside of him, Ignited.

"Phila, _retreat now!"_

Phila and co looked down upon hearing Robin's voice, it was at that moment that the _Reeking Box_ unleashed a purple miasma in the courtyard.

Emmeryn's eyes widen as she saw her siblings get engulfed by the abnormal smokescreen. "Chrom, Lissa!"

"Why did the tactician shout?" Phila muttered, the old knight still didn't completely trusted the man and hesitated to follow his command.

Sumia and Cordelia on the other hand, they swiftly ordered their squads to back away. "Captain Phila!" The brunette urged her to move.

However, it was far too late, the smoke had cleared and what it revealed sent chills down Phila's spine. "Risen!?" She shouted as her eyes registered over a dozen undead Archers aiming at the Winged-Knights.

They drew their bowstrings back, Phila pulled the reins and commanded her steed to move, the beast – not yet used to its new owner – failed to follow through and shook violently in denial.

Arrows were sent flying, it was over for them. They would be shot down and killed on the spot. At least, that's what Aversa wanted.

"Excalibur!" An enormous tornado of wind encased the group of Risen and destroyed the arrows mid-air. Meanwhile, it pulled the Pegasus Knights around the emerald spiral of magic, ultimately hurling them away from the Courtyard – back to safety.

Heads turned as they followed the trace of magical sigils weaving around the spell-caster responsible for such power, Shepherds and Plegians alike were shocked to see the Ylissean tactician coated in a pink blitz.

Robin – hand outstretched – stood there gasping for air, his eyes were covered by his bangs and the intense fire surrounding him. _"Why does it hurt,"_ His voice seemed to echo. _"It hurts... It hurts..! It hurts, It hurts!"_

The Risen who managed to survive the spell, growled as they took aim at the new threat, one of them had already pulled the bow-string and let the arrow fly – implanting itself in Robin's arm with a thunk.

"Robin!" Lucina shouted as she forced herself to stand up.

 _"You're the reason it hurts,"_ His voice caused the princess to stop in her tracks, her eyes trembled as the arrow that hit him was burnt to a crisp, Robin pointed a finger at the remaining Risen. _"Thoron..."_

A bright flash blinded everyone, it collapsed in on itself and transformed into an arrow of light; splitting the stone floor apart as it traveled, the intense attack made five undead archers vanish from existence as everyone braced themselves due to the force.

Upon witnessing such display of power, all the fighting ceased at once, even Aversa – who narrowed their eyes – didn't make a move, lest she wanted to be the tactician's next target.

 _"Gangrel,"_ Robin addressed the Mad-King suddenly, causing the latter to take a step back, fear was written all over Gangrel's face. _"It is your turn..."_

"A-Aversa, do something!" The King stumbled back as the white-haired man pointed a finger at him.

However, the only muscle the dark sorceress moved, was her lips. "There won't be any need for that." Her eyes lit up as a wicked smile appeared on her face.

Gangrel looked at her in confusion, before following her crazed gaze. "... What is this?" The King calmed down as his eyes registered what the woman was referring to.

Robin's finger was still pointing at them but the flames vanished in and out of reality – disappearing and appearing like some sort of illusion – they suddenly withered out completely as the tactician's legs gave away and fell face first to the ground.

Chrom turned and was ready to sprint over to try and help his fallen comrade, but Gangrel's voice rang out. "Don't move a muscle little prince, or I'll order the remaining archers to kill every single one of you!"

Gritting his teeth in anger, Chrom gave the King a death stare. "I... I will kill you Gangrel!"

"Go ahead! I welcome you to try! Just know that you will be responsible for the death of your Exalt and Soldiers!" Gangrel then looked at the other Shepherds who were paralyzed in place. "...And what of the rest of you? Who wants the honor of killing the Exalt?!"

Upon being greeted with silence, Gangrel crackled. "Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it little prince? Pathetic!" As to further demonstrate his disgust towards the Ylisseans, Gangrel spits the ground in front of him.

"Damn you!" Chrom shouted in anger, he took a step forward-

"Archers! Don't let this pup take a single step forward!" The Risen followed the King's commands by aiming at Chrom. "Now, little prince, I'll be nice today – Plegia does adore a merciful King after all – and give you two options."

Lucina slowly crept her way towards Robin – the archers had taken aim on her Father – as Gangrel put up a show for the remaining Plegian forces.

"You can lay down your weapons and hand over the Fire Emblem, or be killed on the spot alongside your precious Exalt! No one needs to die here if you can simply cooperate!"

Chrom hesitated to speak, the Fire Emblem was located inside one of the Convoys that was retreated - but the King didn't know that – maybe if he could strike a deal, the prince could allow his friends to retreat to safety, but at the cost of leaving Emmeryn once more...

 _'What would Robin say in this situation..!?'_ Chrom didn't dare glance at the tactician, fearing the undead soldiers would kill him on the spot. _'It's an obvious trap, but what else am I suppose to do!?'_

"I'm waaaiting!" Gangrel hurried the panicking prince.

"My duty or my sister," Chrom muttered. "None of them are the right answer..!" He tilted his head slightly upwards, enough to barely see Emmeryn's green coat – but not her face.

"I'll count to three, lay down your weapons or your Exalt becomes the world's largest quiver!" Gangrel started counting down, and at the same time, the Risen shifted their aim towards Emmeryn.

Chrom's eyes shifted to her Sister, then to the unconscious Robin – who was held up by Marth – then back at the smiling Mad-King.

"Thr-"

"Gangrel, hold!" Chrom shouted. "Everyone lay down your weapons-"

 _"No, wait!"_ Emmeryn's voice caused everyone to glance up at the Exalt.

"Silence!" Gangrel shouted at the blonde.

Their Exalt didn't back down and continued. "King Gangrel, is there truly no hope you will listen to reason?"

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?!" He scoffed. "I think not. All I want to hear now is the _T_ _hunk_ of arrows, and a _S_ _plat_ as you hit the ground!"

Emmeryn frowned in disappointment as Gangrel continued speaking. "Take _one,_ long last look from your perch.., you do so enjoy looking down on people. Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker!"

The Exalt didn't respond to this, prompting the King to look at the prince instead before speaking.

"Unless someone was to give me the Fire Emblem, _now!"_

Chrom clutched his fist. "All right!" He then looked at his sister with a forlorn smile. "Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision."

"Chrom-"

He cut her off. " _Maybe_ , someday we'll face a crisis where the Emblem would've helped.., but I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their Exalt.., _we,_ need our sister. If those dark times should come, we'll face them together."

The Exalt's jade eyes stared at her younger Brother, then glanced over at her little sister – who hid behind a collapsed pillar – before closing her eyes and taking a long deep breath. "Chrom..," Emmeryn felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she mustered the strength to hold them back. "Th-Thank you. I know what I must do now..."

"Emm, what are you doing-" Chrom paused as he saw her sister take a step forward.

"Plegians!" Emmeryn's voice was loud and clear, no doubt everyone near the courtyard would hear her words. "I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will bring you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourself from this vicious cycle of pain and vengeance!"

No one dared speak as they took in the Exalt's words. "Do what you must..," She continued, taking one more step towards the ledge. "As I will do – See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

With one last step, it was clear as day what Emmeryn was about to do, everyone watched in horror – Gangrel didn't say anything – even the undead soldiers didn't move as they stared at the Exalt.

Only Chrom snapped out of his trance. "Emm, no! _No,_ wait!" He started sprinting towards his elder Sister.

Meanwhile, Emmeryn's words were responded with silence.

 _'No reaction... Was I wrong then?'_ She saw how Chrom was running towards her, fully aware that the prince was far too late.

 _'Chrom.., this is some torch I'm passing you...'_ Memories of how her Father passed away clouded her inner-thoughts, how she too, was given the harsh burden of the Exalt at a young age.

Emmeryn looked at the sky one last time, smiling as an eagle flew high above at the center of the cloud's gap that Robin created with his magic. "... Please keep an eye out for them, Robin..." The Exalt then looked ahead with a determined look, hand raised and clasped together at her chest as if she was praying.

One step was all it took for the Exalt to tip over the ledge, Chrom shouted her name, Lissa screamed as she couldn't bear to look and covered her eyes.

 _'Chrom.., Lissa.., and all my people...'_ Emmeryn closed her eyes and smiled as the ground rapidly approached. _'...Know that I loved you.'_

* * *

Robin's eyes opened slowly, he was staring straight at the ground, but he could see blue boots standing next to him. _'Is that.., Lucina?'_ The tactician's senses slowly returned, allowing him to hear Gangrel's voice – while realizing that Lucina was holding him up.

"Never have I seen someone fall so gracefully! And I've seen many falls before," His laughter was enough to make Robin's blood boil in anger, but he couldn't move a muscle. "So ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most Exalted!"

 _'W-What..? Emmeryn? No, we saved her, that is a lie... Nothing but a lie!'_ Robin commanded his head to move, but it didn't listen.

Gangrel's voice continued to echo across the land. "But how can we ensure everyone remembers this beautiful moment of her sacrifice?"

 _'A sacrifice!? What is he talking about!? Someone, please, tell me...'_ Guilt ate away at his heart as he saw teardrops – tears that didn't belong to him – fall to the ground next to his feet.

"Perhaps we should gather up her body and put it on display! _Bwa hahaha!_ "

Unknowingly to Robin, Chrom punched the ground as he heard this – Emmeryn's body was but a few feet away from the prince – and stood up in anger. _"Gangrel, you die today!"_ He drew out Falchion, ancient blade ringing as it left its sheath.

However, before the Prince did anything, an orange-haired thief grabbed him. "Don't do it Blue! Ferox has sent us the signal to bail the hell out of here!"

"G-Gaius, let me go, that dastard needs to die here and now!"

"Won't do you any good if we all die here! C'mon Blue, we need to go, _now!"_

Chrom's anger dwindled a small amount. "W-Wait, what about Emm.., her body, I need to-"

"Elwind!" Ricken and Miriel shouted in unison as they blocked a barrage of arrows directed at their backlines.

The immediate danger – his friends were in – made Chrom snap out of it and do what had to be done, finishing his duty as a prince. "Shepherds, full on retreat! Follow the plan Robin prepared for us, now!"

Everyone evacuated, Lucina picked up Robin in her arms and ran, it was at this point when the tactician was finally able to see her face; tears fell down Lucina's cheeks, but lips were firm, indicating anger.

 _'… I have failed, haven't I?'_ He recalled how painful it was during the usage of his previous two spells, and how a voice told him to endure it, combining their emotions and power as one in order to create a massive amount of power.

A drop of water made Robin flinch, and looking past Lucina's concentrated face, he could see that the heavens have started to also cry. Plegia, Ylisse, Regna Ferox, they have all lost – only Gangrel won that day.

"Shepherds!" Basilio's voice called out to them, he was securing a path through the Plegian army with his loyal men. "Run through here, we'll be right behind you! Move it now!"

Chrom led the way, their Pegasus Knights have landed next to the prince and guarded him with their lives, for he would be the next Exalt, should he survive.

Flavia gave the command to charge forward, creating a spear formation with the Ylisseans at the center. "What is this..." Flavia muttered to herself. "Why are the Plegians not fighting back? Did Emmeryn's words affect them?"

The East-Khan noticed how the Plegian soldiers simply blocked any attacks, but they didn't dare counter or strike back as hard, it was as if they were allowing them to escape.

* * *

 _Location: The Midmire._

The leader of the Plegians stationed here stood quietly on top of his fort's wall. "General Mustafa!" A soldier approached the tall bulky man.

"What is it, lad?" The bald man with a large black bear responded.

"Ylisseans have been spotted, should we intercept them just like the King commanded?"

For the longest time, Mustafa didn't give the order, he instead stared off into the sky that was raining steadily. Emmeryn's death struck him hard, more then he had expected, he knew that his men felt the same way – with a simple glance – it was apparent that they didn't want to fight, just like himself.

"General?" The Soldier reminded him of his position.

"Go ahead and intercept them, but do not attack."

Following his orders, the Soldier heads off to deliver them.

Mustafa spotted a Wyvern Rider. "You there," He pointed at a nearby plateau. "Fly me over there, I would like to speak with the Ylisseans."

"Yes, sir!"

Meanwhile, Frederick and Phila led the front with their steeds – both knights had unreadable emotions – until two Plegian soldiers stood in their way.

Phila was the first one to speak. "Blasted! Plegians here as well!? Have they found our escape route?" Her voice raised the more she stared at the enemies.

Frederick looked at Chrom – who's wet hair covered his downcast eyes – hoping to get any orders from the prince. "Milord..?" The stalwart knight called out, but Chrom didn't respond.

Robin – who was supported by Lucina and Tharja – shouted the prince's name. "Snap out of it, we need to focus, or else we'll die here!"

At the mention of the word death, Chrom looked up at the enemy soldiers. "... Right." He bitterly said as he drew out Falchion – without warning – he dashed in and killed one of the Plegians.

The other soldier panicked and attempted to stab the prince with his spear, but Chrom parried it effortlessly and impaled the man mercilessly.

A distant thunder was heard as Chrom sheathed his blade and continued to walk forward, his Shepherds didn't move until Frederick did.

"Ylisseans!" A voice called out to them, heads turned to see a man standing on top of a nearby plateau. "I offer mercy, surrender to me now and live!"

Phila spoke out in anger. "Mercy!? Surrendering!? Ha! What a pathetic word coming from you, Plegian dog!"

"Emmeryn would not have wished for this-" Mustafa was cut off as he dodged a javelin, his eyes tracing back to who threw it.

Chrom – who stood next to a shocked Frederick – lowered his throwing arm. "Don't you dare... _Don't you dare speak her name!"_ He had thrown one of the Stalwart's weapons with no hesitation.

Mustafa narrowed his eyes. "Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom. But the meaning of your sister's final sacrifice was not lost on me..." He turned back to see his men, who looked up at him with concern. "I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same. If you lay down your weapons, I vow to protect you as best I can."

Frederick commanded his steed to take a step forward. "How can we trust you after what your barbarous king has done?" The stalwart knight narrowed his eyes as Mustafa didn't respond. "I think we shall take our chances with weapons in hand!"

"I suspected you would say as much..." The General stared down at a puddle, his reflection stared back at him with a frown. "So be it, Prince Chrom. I shall endeavor to grant you a swift and dignified end."

Mustafa left after saying that, his voice could barely be heard by the Shepherds, but it was evident that he was giving out orders to attack them.

Chrom didn't bother ordering his troops, he just decided to charge into the fray. Frederick, Phila, Sumia, and Cordelia, rushed over to the prince's side, but the other Shepherds looked at their tactician.

"I think I can stand on my own," He told the two supporting him.

"Are you sure?" Lucina asked before slipping her arm away from underneath his arm.

"If our leader isn't acting like one, the responsibility falls before the tactician to pick up his errors," Robin looked at the remaining Shepherds. "Everyone, we fight to live and make it out of here alive. For we will return another day and avenge Emmeryn!"

His words moved them into action, ready to follow the tactician's orders. "What are your orders then?" Sully voiced out for everyone.

"Our cavaliers should follow Chrom's group, back him up and head towards the Commander's base," Stahl, Sully, and the newly obtained Pegasus Knights left upon hearing this. "Virion, Panne, Kellam, Vaike, Gaius, Gregor, and Nowi; secure a path for our clerics and the wounded!"

The Shepherds mentioned moved along the path, those who remained were Lucina, Tharja, Miriel, Ricken, Libra, and Robin. "The rest of you, follow me, we'll give them some cover from any potential ambushes from behind."

"Don't push yourself, alright?" Lucina put a hand on his shoulder.

Robin just gave her a shaky smile. "Don't worry about me, we need to get out of this alive.., no more lives must be lost." He noticed that Tharja was staring at him. "Ah, Tharja was it? Thank you for the help."

The Plegian mage looks to the side with a small blush. "... Your welcome." Her face turned serious as she saw enemies approach them. "Danger up ahead."

Lucina stood in front of Robin protectively, the latter charged up a weak Wind spell instead of his usual electricity, least he wanted to shock everyone in the nearby radius due to the rain. They slowly advanced through the enemy ranks, surprisingly, the Plegian soldiers barely put up a fight.

In response to their mercy, Robin ordered his allies to not harm the enemy soldiers who surrendered and to not kill any of them if possible. Before long they reached a clearing – Mustafa's fort was in sight.

Inside said fort, emotions were brewing out of control. "Forgive me, sir!" A Soldier bowed, weapon dropped to the ground. "I-... I no longer see the justice in hunting these people down. I accept any punishment you see fit, but after all, that has happened... I just can't anymore."

A nearby Wyvern-Rider scoffed at this. "How dare you question the General's orders! You know full well that the punishment for insubordination - is death."

The lower ranking soldier coward as the Wyvern-Rider approached him. "S-Sir, these people are-"

Mustafa silenced them with a stomp of his foot. "These questions are not ours to ponder, lad. The soldier does not judge. The Soldier delivers judgment."

His words made the Soldier stand up straight with a serious face plastered. "If that is the case... Then I see no punishment needed for these Ylisseans! They require no judgment that punishes them with death!"

"How dare you..!" The Wyvern-Rider raised his axe as he jumped off his steed.

But the Plegian soldier stood tall, without flinching, awaiting his unjust-death if needed.

Mustafa saw Emmeryn standing before him for a split second, his feet were already moving before he realized. A clank was heard as the General's own Silver-Axe blocked the attack.

"Back down, lad," He commanded the rider, who reluctantly obeyed. "... You saw her, didn't you."

The soldier stared into his General's eyes, he saw the pain behind them. "Yes, sir..."

"So be it," Mustafa – encouraged by the display of his soldier – walked over to the balcony of his fort. "Those who heard Emmeryn's words and are unwilling to fight are dismissed!"

Such words came as a shock to many of his men, but some of them indeed lowered their weapons and made a run for it. "Sir," The soldier who cause all of this approached Mustafa. "I don't want to abandon you."

"I cannot defy the King's orders, I know him all too well... He would murder my wife and child just to set an example. Allow me to accept the blame for your actions today, now go!"

"W-Wait, General! I see a cause worth fighting for, one that I believe in - Loyalty to my captain."

"... Aye," Mustafa smiled. "You're a good lad."

"General!" Chrom's voice shouted from outside, the final battle was about to commence.

Mustafa exits his station and met the Prince outside, his white coat was tainted with blood, fitting for the fierce fire that Chrom had in his eyes.

The Plegian decided to speak out. "If you wish to keep your lives, then you must fight for them... That's the mentality that us Soldiers are taught to engrave into our minds."

Chrom ignored his words and pointed Falchion at the Plegian, causing Mustafa to let out a sigh as he fell into his own battle stance.

"Do me a favor, Prince Chrom."

Upon being responded with silence, the general continued.

"Tell your men to stop fighting, just like I will order mine. This will be a fight between you and me – and if I die – spare my men once it is over, they wish to not fight; none of us want to anymore..."

"... You have my word," Chrom finally sounded normal for once, but the aura lingering around his frame didn't falter, the prince was still beyond angry. "Fredrick, follow through with the command."

Thunder roared in the background, the field was illuminated for a few seconds before darkening once more, the sound of rain falling returned to being the primary sound as the two warriors stood in front of each other.

Their allies – both armies – didn't dare move as their respective leader dashed into battle. Chrom allowed Falchion to dirty itself as it cut into the ground while he ran, an upswing was enough to nick Mustafa's cheek, the General retaliated by kicking the prince's thigh and then hitting him with the hilt of his axe.

Chrom ignored the pain – filled with adrenaline – as he went for another double-handed slash, nearly decapitating the Plegian General who dodged underneath the swing. Mustafa – with his lowered formed – tossed his weapon aside and tackled the prince to the ground.

However, the Ylissean prince was more than ready for this, he planted his feet on Mustafa's chest and kicked him off and behind himself. Chrom quickly jumped back to his feet, abandoning his weapon and pouncing on the General, opting to punch the man's face over and over in fits of rage.

Mustafa would move his head in some cases, causing Chrom to miss and hit the ground hard – but the latter would continue his barrage of punches – or be able to counter and give the prince's a nasty right hook.

Sumia watched with teary eyes, the man before her, wasn't Chrom anymore. "C-Captain..," She got off her steed shakily, debating whether she should stop the fight or endure the pain in her heart.

Frederick and Phila didn't speak, they no longer saw Prince Chrom of Ylisse with them.., they saw his Father, the Exalt who started all of this.

Another thunderous roar filled the air, Chrom's war cry was filled with anger and agony as he clutched his fist together and lifted it above his head.

Mustafa lifted a hand weakly, but he was already dazed by the prince's recent onslaught, he received the full force of the blow and started seeing stars after doing so.

Chrom didn't seem ready to stop, despite knocking the man out, in fact, he readied his fist once more.

"Wind!" A spell flung the prince to the side.

Everyone watched as Chrom slid across the mud a fair distance away from Mustafa, before looking at the direction the spell came from. "Such a pathetic display, Chrom..." A white-haired tactician approached the scene with a frown on his face.

Lucina turned her head at the tactician. "Robin, what do you think you're doing-"

"How dare you attack the prince!" Frederick shouted. "Are you perhaps betraying us, Robin?! Just like how your plan so happened to fail to save Emmeryn!?"

There it was, the Shepherds were starting to break one by one, their team was shattering and their emotions were flying out of control.

Cordelia barked back at the Great-Knight. "How dare you say such a thing to our tactician!? After everything he has done to keep us alive, this is how you repay him?"

Phila silenced the red-haired. "If it wasn't for his rash decision, I may have been able to save Emmeryn."

"N-No!" Sumia shouted. "You didn't follow his orders, and almost got yourself killed, Captain Phila..."

Everyone started flaring up, shouting at each other with harsh choice words. " _Silence!"_ Chrom's voice was enough for them to stop

Robin – who was looking down at his feet – kept repeating Frederick's words in his mind, so much so that he didn't realize Chrom was approaching him. "Robin.., answer me, why did you do that," Chrom said with a deadly tone.

The white-haired man looked up with narrowed eyes, Chrom was now right in front of him, their foreheads almost touching. "Because what you're doing is wrong."

"What I'm doing!?" Chrom barked out. "Look around you, do you think everything is sunshine and rainbows in a war!?"

"No, but I also don't think that hitting a man who doesn't want to fight, is right."

Chrom grabbed the lapels of his coat and grit his teeth. "Say that to Gangrel. To the entire population of Ylisse."

"You speak as if the King represents all of its people," Robin let out a sigh, not taking the prince seriously. "Have you taken a second to register what you have been doing just now?"

The prince's anger slowly vanished as he loosens the grip on the tactician's coat. "... Of course, I did, Robin."

"Remember the night we spoke? The same night you told me about your father and how you feared you were turning into him?"

Chrom's hands started to shake, his eyes started to water, but one could easily mistake his tears for raindrops. "Gods... What have I been doing..?"

"Heh, nothing wrong Chrom, you simply followed your emotions, but in this case, they were far too disconnected with the emotions of those around you," Robin recalled the conversation they had back in Regna Ferox, and he was sure that Chrom also remembered it.

"I have failed as their prince,"

"And I have failed as your tactician," Robin cut in. "I promised that I would watch your back and not let you fall over your own feelings, yet I was far too weak to do so – forgive me."

Chrom let go of his tactician. "You did your best, Robin... There is no need to apologize, for you have my eternal gratitude. It's my own faults that haunt me now," He looked at the wounded General – while the soldiers of both sides stared at him, hearing their conversation.

"Chrom..." Robin waited for the prince to continue speaking.

"... She did it for me, Robin. Emmeryn didn't want me to live with the guilt of either choice, so she chose for me. Sacrificing herself rather than giving up what could one day save her people."

Upon seeing the prince look down at the wet ground, Robin lifted his head with a hand and locked eyes with him. "Look at me, Chrom," He let go of Chrom and took a step back, spreading both arms.

"I have failed as my role as tactician, and if it wasn't for Marth's warning, I would have failed to save Emmeryn back in Ylisstol as well. And yes, alone, I don't think either one of us is half the person your sister was... But together.., maybe we can be something more."

Chrom listened to the tactician's supportive words, clutching to every single one as if his life depended on it.

"If you fall," Robin pointed at the prince. "I'll be there to pull you back up." He pressed his heart with a thumb. "When you fight for your sister's ideals, I'll be there by your side... You don't have to become your sister, you can still be true to yourself, but you have to give people hope in whatever way you can – not scare them."

Robin's words made the prince receive a heartache. "And what if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? Robin, what if I drag you down with me?!"

"If you aren't worthy, you'll keep at it till you are. And if we both fall down... well, that's what friends are for, isn't it?"

Nowi's voice cheerfully echoed through the ravine. "That's right! I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for all of you!"

Lon'qu was the next to speak up. "Were you unworthy, I would have left long ago." Despite his injuries, the man still sought to protect everyone.

"Yeah!" Ricken chirped. "We all look up to you, you're a hero to us."

Chrom looked at all of his Shepherds, they all smiled warmly. "Thank you, everyone..."

"Get going, lad," Mustafa said with a small grunt as he sat up. "Before Plegian reinforcements arrive."

Robin took a step forward. "He's right, we need to go now, I'm sure Basilio and the escape carriages are nearby."

"Right, Shepherds, we press forward!" Chrom was finally back, a large amount of weight was lifted from his shoulders.

The Plegians watched with their weapons lowered, allowing the Ylisseans walk by without disturbance.

Only when Chrom walked by Mustafa did the two armies interact. "Thank you, General... And please forgive me for my actions."

"There is no need to say that, lad. What your sister did.., it has saved Plegia from these heavy chains of vengeance."

Such actions made Chrom feel bad for hurting the Plegian, but he had no time to linger on such thought, moving forward was their main goal at the time.

Minutes went by in silence as they marched forward, until the ravines shifted to that of normal plains, only when the rain started dying down, did the Shepherds see a squad of Feroxi troops up ahead.

"There they are!" Basilio waved at them from afar. "Hurry those Ylissean arses over here!"

The Shepherds picked up the pace until they reached the wagons they needed to pill themselves in. "Hurry up everyone, we d-don't got much time!" Olivia instructed as she carried around a lantern alongside her black coat that sheltered her from the current weather.

Robin approached the pink-haired dancer. "Olivia? You were in-charged of the escape route?"

"Oh, Robin, thank goodness you're safe!" She smiled for a second before shifting back to being serious. "N-Now isn't the time to explain, get in, hurry!"

The white-haired man stumbled slightly as he was pushed by the timid-dancer. "W-Wait, there's barely any room in here!"

"Make room!" She shouted back and shoved him next to Lucina before closing the back entrance.

Ylissean and Feroxi soldiers, wounded and exhausted, they all sat inside these wagons that were about to move. They barely had any leg space, and they were shoulder to shoulder as they sat neatly inside.

Voices outside could be heard as they organized every individual into the wagons, but it wasn't long till they gave out the order to start moving.

"What an emotional ride," Robin said with a sigh.

"Indeed..," Lucina was hugging her legs close to her chest, letting her chin rest on her knees. "All of that work, and yet..."

"I'm sorry."

Lucina looked to the side, the tactician was looking at the roof of the convoy. "It wasn't your fault, Robin... You did everything you could back there." She followed his gaze and noticed a small hole, his attention to detail was rather impressive.

"Allow me to harbor this pain for now," He replied softly. "For some reason, I feel as if I deserve to feel guilty. Saying it isn't my fault just annoys me more."

The princess looked at him in confusion, but it seemed like the tactician was done talking, he was still looking through the hole. _'Such an odd man... Never one to express his emotions or show them upright. I bet the entire time he was talking to Chrom, he saw nothing but his own reflection in the prince's eyes... Robin was indirectly talking to himself back there.'_

Lucina leaned back and closed her eyes, her legs were in pain, but she was too exhausted to really care. _'I should stop using Mother's technique too often, for it seems as if I am not ready for the strain just yet.'_

* * *

Robin let out a loud yawn as he awoke from his slumber, he noticed a small weight on his shoulder. "Lucina..." He whispered softly as he saw the princess using his shoulder as a pillow.

The convoy was still in motion, so Robin didn't bother waking up the bluenette. The members inside were also asleep, except for a handful that was simply looking outside through the back entrance.

Memories of yesterday's events lingered in the tactician's minds as he watched the sunrise. _'If only I was a bit stronger...'_ He recalled how he had the King in view; how close he was to killing Gangrel right then and there.

Lucina let out a small groan – prompting Robin to look her way – sunlight was hitting her mask, the tactician was quick to shift his body a bit and hide Lucina from the light, the least he could do was give her some time to rest.

Now, was the tactician angry at himself? That was a most definite yes. Despite all the advantages he had over the Plegian army, he still lost, outsmarted by that white-haired woman and her dark magic.

 _'… Wait, now that I think about it, how did she summon Risen? I'm aware that they're linked to Grima, but.., It hasn't been resurrected yet.'_ Many questions resurfaced, it kept him busy for hours on end, all the way till the sun was at its highest point.

Suddenly, the convoy halted. "Rise and shine ladies!" A Feroxi Soldier shouted, no doubt the one driving the convoy. "We have reached the campsite, move out."

The movement caused Lucina to stir – waking up with a small yawn before standing up. "Are we back in Regna Ferox?" She asked with no hints of drowsiness apparent in her voice.

 _'Whoa, Lucina seems to be the morning type of person,'_ He shook the thoughts away and stood up. "No, still in Plegia as you can see."

"Plegia?" Lucina and Robin jumped out of the convoy and walked towards the nearby tents where people started to gather around. "I thought we were going to fully retreat into Ferox borders."

"We sadly can't," Robin gestured with a hand at a nearby convoy, Feroxi and Ylissean troops were helping with the transport of the injured. "Wounded soldiers won't survive the trip, so we were forced to consider that, and thus the creation of this station was created."

"I see... There are a lot of things to consider, aren't there..."

Robin nodded while still counting the amount of men and women being moved around into medical tents. "Seems we are low on available soldiers as well."

Khan Flavia approached the unsuspecting duo, startling them slightly when she spoke up. "And we are in Plegia's soil, making us a prime target for aerial attacks," The woman was out of her armor, but bandages were wrapped around her entire torso.

Robin was shocked to see the injury. "Flavia, what happened?"

"I took a blow for one of my comrades," She laughed it off and spread her arms. "A mere scratch, I'll be up and ready for the next fight, don't you worry."

"If that's what you call a scratch, I pity Plegia for picking a fight with Regna Ferox."

Flavia laughed with pride. "Anyways, you two should head over there," She gestured to where a group of Pegasus Knights gathered. "The Shepherd's camp will be set up there."

 _ **…**_

Things were starting to slow down, camps were set, mess halls were filled to the brim with hungry soldiers, laughter filled the air around the campfire. The moral of the troops looked high, but it was all a disguise for most, deeply engraved inside of them was the pain of losing.

Especially for a certain tactician that has yet to realize this pain. _"Thoron!"_ An arrow of light flew across the sandy field, parting the sand apart as it flew with great power.

Sparks of electricity faded in and out around Robin's body as he gasped for air. He wasn't wearing his coat this time, making it more obvious that his plain white shirt was drenched in sweat.

"Seems to be stronger,"

He recognized the voice instantly. "Pardon?" He turned to face Lucina, who observed him from afar – the camp was directly behind the princess a few meters away – with a canteen in hand.

"The spell," She took this as her cue to get closer. "The one you just used, it was a lot stronger then the Thoron used back when I first met you."

"Ah," Robin recalled the memory. "Almost feels like it happened yesterday..."

Lucina handed over the canteen, which Robin accepted with a nod of gratitude. "Speaking of which, do you recall what you did yesterday?"

After chugging down a fair bit of water, Robin responded with a frown. "Yes, most of it in fact... I recall saving the Pegasus Knights, then aiming at the Mad-King – everything went black after that – only to wake up fully paralyzed during Gangrel's disgusting speech..."

"Your power back at the courtyard," Lucina helped the man skip the uncomfortable topic. "Was nothing more than impressive. Especially how your entire body was engulfed in this bright pink flames."

"... Flames?" Robin raised an eyebrow to that. "I certainly do not recall that."

"You don't?" Lucina gasped out. "But look at your arm... An arrow hit you and was turned into ashes the instant it did."

The tactician did as he was told, a noticeable scar was on his right arm now. "Whoa.., I also don't remember getting hit by an arrow."

"Seriously? But you even said that you were in pain because of it, and blasted five Risen out of existence with this massive bolt of lightning."

Seeing the princess express herself by spreading her arms – trying to indicate how big the attack was – reminded him a bit of Lissa, which in turn made Robin chuckle. "Are you pulling my leg, Lucina?"

"H-Huh?"

"I would have surely felt myself on fire,"

Lucina crossed her arms. "And you would accuse me of lying?"

"Well, no of course not," Robin reassured with an unsure smile. "It just sounds as if what you saw back there was pretty intense. What type of spell would lit its user on fire anyway? It's not like I use Fire magic in the first place."

Lucina let out a sigh. "Ask any of the Shepherds then, they will all tell you the same story."

"No, I believe you-" Robin reassured her swiftly. "But I also don't know why it happened, and that unknown scares me."

"Are you positive that what we saw wasn't a spell?"

The tactician lingered on that theory for a bit before shaking his head. "No, a spell that just sets its user on fire doesn't exist."

"Hmm... Oh!" Lucina lifted a finger as an idea came to mind. "Maybe it was a _Skill._ "

"Oh..?" Robin smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, that might be the case... Speaking of which, you know one heck of a strong combat-skill."

"So you've noticed."

This made the tactician chuckle. "Seeing a princess vanish and reappearing in split seconds isn't something I would call normal."

"Yes, well, I have only used it for extreme cases as of late – I tend to exhaust myself greatly when I use it."

"Well, that's because you probably don't have a good understanding of how it works, or your body isn't fully used to it-"

Seeing how Robin suddenly stops talking, Lucina tilted her head. "... You were saying?"

"Exhausted after usage..." Robin muttered to himself. "But of course.., I passed out shortly after helping the Pegasus Knights. In that case, what the others saw was indeed a Skill."

"You mean the flames, right? Do you think you can trigger it again?"

Robin shrugged and looked towards the horizon, he then pointed a finger at it. "... Let me give it a try," He concentrated on the events that had happened in the courtyard, recalling the emotions he felt at the time as he muttered ancient words.

Somehow, the tactician felt something heavy in his heart, it felt as if an unknown organ or muscle inside of him wasn't responding properly. Seconds soon turned into minutes, Robin kept focusing as the spell at his fingertips kept charging.

Lucina was already taking a few steps back as electricity was dancing around the Plegian like crazy. "R-Robin, are you alright?"

Her voice made him open his eyes and exhale, the mana around him dispersed and transformed into tiny orbs of light before fading into nothing. "Yeah, I'm fine... But something is definitely there." Robin stared at both his palms.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand."

"... Neither do I," Robin turned to look at her with a smile. "But I probably can't use it, and what you saw back there was just something that happened out of pure chance."

"Ah," Lucina nodded in understanding. "When I first used _Galeforce_ I lost control of its movements and crashed into a nearby tree..."

A chuckle escaped Robin's mouth before speaking. " _Galeforce..,_ a technique used to cut the distance between yourself and the target, while also blessing you with an escape route."

"Correct, it was one of the few techniques my Mother managed to pass down."

"Lucina, but what I normally see from you upon using such a skill, is that you use it offensively and never retreat after doing so," Robin pointed out as he lifted a finger. "Shouldn't you be able to return to your previous position after using such a Skill."

The princess looked down at her feet. "You see, I have yet to fully master it; only half of its power is currently under my control."

"... How about we train together after the war then?"

Lucina looked up at the man in surprise. "W-What?"

"We need to stop Grima right? I'm sure we'll have a ton of time to get stronger after this whole Plegian war is over."

"That may be true, but, I couldn't possibly stay with the Shepherds; think about how bad it'll affect the future."

"As if my existence isn't already screwing it," Robin muttered. "Very well, we'll head out on a journey to improve ourselves, I'll leave the Shepherds after this war is said and done."

"You can't do that! You're the future Grandmaster of Ylisse, Robin..."

"Then I'll reject the title."

"W-What!?"

"Considering what has happened, there is no way in hell I deserve such a title."

Lucina refused to accept such a thing, for Robin, alongside her Father, was considered a legend among all the future Tactician's that protected people from Grima's army. "Nonsense, what you have been doing for everyone is more than enough to prove your worth-"

"Worth? Is that really the word you want to use right now..." Robin grumbled out. "What I'm worth is nothing compared to Emmeryn."

His amber eyes were dark, devoid of emotions. "... I knew it. The words you told Chrom were mostly directed at yourself." Lucina stood firm, not backing down from Robin's intense stare.

"So what if you know that, it won't change my mind on the matter."

"Why are you being so stubborn..?"

"That's rich coming from you."

Lucina inhaled sharply. "You even said it yourself," She continued while clenching her fist tightly. "How it's a naive thought to think you can save everyone."

"Yet, I couldn't save the most important one." Robin glanced up at the starry night sky.

"You speak as if you had control over Emmeryn's decision... And you harbor the pain by yourself, with zero considerations as to how everyone else feels!"

This was enough to catch Robin off-guard. "Everyone..?"

"Have you ever paused to think how the Shepherds feel? … How I feel?" Upon not getting an answer, she continued. "You are not the only one who thinks like that – that what we did wasn't enough – how maybe things would have been different if we did something else."

Robin scoffed at this. "What do they know. They have the excuse of not possibly knowing what would happen that day. But look at me, a fool who fully knew that Emmeryn would get captured and executed. Yet, I receive a pat on the back and fake reassuring smiles."

Lucina grimaced, but she couldn't counter that statement. Robin was indeed walking down a path only he was currently taking. "... Don't do this to yourself, Robin,"

"Why do you even care? Shouldn't you be the one to be barking at me the most? Due to my pathetic cocky self, the future has now turned dark and is heading down its original course."

"You know what," Lucina took a step forward. "How about you stop trying to distance yourself from us with your empty words. You think I don't know what you're going through? Robin, my entire life I have seen people I care deeply for perishing right before me."

The tactician flinched as Lucina kept walking slowly to him, he took a step back as she approached. "I got the Exalt killed, Lucina!"

"And I got an entire world destroyed!" She shouted back, the princess was barely holding in tears.

Robin didn't move after hearing that. "... Ugh, you're not playing fair." The tactician knew that if he said it wasn't her fault, Lucina would win this argument by making him sound like a hypocrite.

Lucina was face to face with him now. "Because you know I am right, but for some reason, you refuse to accept it."

"Because this is how I feel.., and in a way, it's how I cope with the pain."

"... I accept that, but let me be there for you – eager to pick you up – what kind of friend would I be if I ignored you."

Robin – despite her mask – could tell her eyes were shinning just like the stars above them, he smiled while closing his eyes. "To think that the woman who didn't want to trust me, is the exact same one standing before me.., using the word friend on top of it all."

"Pretty sure you have made it quite obvious that we're going to be stuck together for a while from here on,"

The tactician nodded softly, reopening his teary eyes with his now shaky smile. "Forgive me, for what I said earlier."

Lucina didn't respond right away, but she reassured the man by putting a hand on his shoulder. "You reminded me of myself when I was close to breaking... However, the difference was that no one lent me a hand – or said encouraging words – they were too scared, thinking that they weren't in the position to say something, or thought I would get over it soon."

Robin clenched his teeth and allowed his eyes to glance to the side. "Sorry..."

"Don't be, it was my fault anyways, I told them to leave me alone – even yelled some nasty stuff... But deep inside, I wanted someone to approach me and be there for me."

Lucina was forced to grow up so fast – that much was at least obvious – she was out of Robin's league when it came to mental fortitude and willpower. "Next time," Robin looked up to the sky once more as he spoke. "I'll be there for you, just like you were here for me."

The princess took a step back and followed his gaze, letting herself smile as she took in the sight. "You're still going to accept the Grandmaster title,"

"Nope, that I definitely refuse."

"... Why are you being so difficult?"

"Are we really going to have this argument again?" A breeze went by as they went silent; until they both laughed at how childish they were acting.

Lucina was the first to speak after composing herself. "Very well, let us say I accept your offer, and we do indeed go and train ourselves for the upcoming events. Where exactly would we go?"

Robin thought about for a bit, many ideas occurred to him, but he had to organize them neatly before speaking. "South of Ylisse, there is a small island if I recall... I heard of how people live off the land perfectly fine down there while being separated from the world, maybe we can learn a thing or two about survival techniques from them."

"And then?"

"We can train under a Feroxi teacher... Or even take some knight lessons in Ylisstol – oh I know! Frederick's hometown has perfected many knights in the past."

"Are you sure this will be a good idea? In my time you never left the Shepherds, and it got you very far..."

"Yes, but in the end, we all failed; expanding my knowledge and individual strength will benefit me more than working in an office until the Events of Grima come to pass-"

A small – and cute – yawn interrupted the white-haired Plegian. "Maybe we should get some sleep and discuss this another time."

"Yeah, that's a good idea, no doubt we'll have a war-meeting early in the morning."

They started heading back to camp, but right before anyone could hear them, Lucina decided to ask one more thing. "Mind if I join?"

"The war meeting?" Robin stopped walking just as Lucina did.

"... Hearing – and watching – you train has encouraged me to also seek out expanding my own horizons, so why not start with tactics."

For a second, Robin stared at her in disbelief.

"W-What..? Did I say something offensive?"

Snapping out of his trance with a shake of his head, Robin reassured her with a bright smile. "No, of course not! I'm merely surprised someone wanted to learn a thing or two in something I adore doing... Is this how Frederick felt?" He muttered the latter to himself.

"So that's a yes, right?" Lucina giggled.

"A one hundred percent, yes!" Robin raised his arms dramatically and walked ahead with a spring to his step. "I'll see you tomorrow, gotta prepare some beginner lessons right now."

The princess was relieved to see the man back to his original self, venting out his emotions was enough to bring him back on his own two feet.

"Oh, and Lucina," She looked up at the man who stood a few feet ahead, looking over his shoulder and staring right at her. "Thank you, truly."

Robin left upon saying that, not giving her the chance to respond. "I should be the one thanking you, Robin... You pulled my Father back to himself, and in turn, created a stronger bond between him and his Shepherds." Lucina's words didn't reach anyone's ears but her own.

That chilly night, underneath the gaze of a thousand stars, Lucina knew that Emmeryn was watching over them with a smile – Ylisse and Regna Ferox will win – there was no doubt in her mind.

* * *

 ** _AN: Surprise!_ Haha, I decided to post a bit earlier than usual, just to make up for all those times I delayed the story... Anyways, this chapter, whoa... It almost brought a tear to my face.**

 **Trust me, it WAS SO hard to pick who would live in this scenario - was time really going to fix itself and go to its original course? As you can see, not everything is the same, and such results will have a massive role in this story.**

 **Next chapter will have it usual schedule like always, and it'll probably be the last Chapter of this** **Act.**

 ** _Thank you for the continuous support and taking some time out of your day to read my story!_**

 _Sidenote:_

 **Funfact:** Title was inspired by everyone's wishes on how we wanted to save Emmeryn, I'm sorry that I couldn't grant them this time.

Light magic has been added, in the form of supportive spells (For now) such as Ward. Like I mentioned prior, I want to add stuff to the story that I feel like was skipped on due to low budgets that the Series had at the time - This also means that Dark Magic has a direct counter again - **shout out** to those who encouraged me to try and seek out a way to nerf Dark Magic.

 **Skills** : They shall be explained further in their respective chapters, but for now Ignis won't be the same as in-game wise, its effects will be altered slightly to represent its huge spike in power upon activation.

A slight example would be: Thoron will increase itself by a rank, a slightly stronger version of the original spell will be summoned in its place while Ignis is in play. Might have to contract Owain or something if we want to name it something along the lines of: _BURNING ARROW. (Little jest)_

 **Galeforce** : This skill will also be explained, but as for now, its effects are also altered to avoid the whole game-logic play that it had. For now, the skill will be used for Hit&Run tactics, allowing the user to increase their movement greatly and deal a devastating blow. _(This skill might replace Lethality)_

 **Pass:** This will no longer be a skill, but a technique that mostly represents parkour, Gaius gave a short example of how it would be used to gain an advantage over the opponents.

I'm sure I said it in the first chapter, but this story wants to add some logic and realism to the game elements, so the skills are the first ones to be affected by this.

Once more, I hope everyone enjoyed these small changes to the story... May we meet again, in the next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15: Two Ideals

_Chapter 15: Two Ideals_

Two days have gone by since the fight at the Plegian Castle-Courtyard, and a pair inside the war tent were currently training; specifically one was walking around a large table that the other one was using in order to master the art of strategy.

"Hmm.., and what if I put my units here." Lucina slid a small figurine across the board.

"Nope,"

She let out a sigh as the tactician rejected her strategy once more. "Let me try again," The princess eagerly said with her unmasked eyes shining.

Robin let out a small chuckle as he re-arranged the small pieces they were using as representatives of an army, the map was based on Plegian terrains, and Lucina was practicing against the army Plegia would use in other to defend against invaders.

As a result, the duo has been stuck in the war tent for almost the entire morning for the second day in a row.

"Alright, the pieces are in place, and you have thirty seconds to formulate a plan and order your troops around," He paused and waited for the princess to nod. "You may start."

Lucina scanned the field as fast as possible, making sure to not miss important details that Robin made sure to point out numerous times beforehand.

Meanwhile, Robin watched with a smile as he saw the Princess move pieces around – she was doing great so far – until she started moving the Cavalier units.

"Wrong," Robin's voice cut through the princess' concentration like it was paper.

This made Lucina pout and sit back in her seat. "Now what did I miss..? Also, I thought I still had a few seconds..."

"Moving your cavalier units will require more time then what your lightly equipped infantry units will take – it'll mess up your ranks – and the enemy will counterattack hard with their Magical attacks; before you even had a chance you would have lost." Robin reached out and knocked down her front lines, further demonstrating how many soldiers would have been lost during that encounter.

Robin held up a finger as to also remind her of a crucial point. "Did you really think that the enemy will just stand there while your units move around?"

"Gods, there is far too much to keep track of," Lucina let out a sigh. "My apologies for wasting your time, Robin. At the rate we're going, it seems as if I lack the talent for this type of work."

"Nonsense," He said while re-arranging the pieces once more. "You're actually fighting against my army, so winning means that I have something I must look out for. In a way, training you - is also teaching me."

Unknowingly to the tactician, this made the Princess display a discouraged face, almost even enough for her to put on her mask again. "So that's why the difficulty has spiked up harshly these past few days.., you're basically learning my tactics as we go..."

"Give it one more try," He reassured her while admiring his own work, the pieces were neatly moved into place. "Training to be a field tactician is a bit harder than those who just stay in a war tent; away from the battle where they don't change their plan – depending on the flow – that easily."

"If you insist," Lucina's voice was lowered, for she was already focusing on the simulated battle in front of her.

Robin didn't give her a set amount of time just this once, but if what he taught her worked, Lucina will win for sure.  
The princess registered the position of the enemy units, then proceeded to move her own with both hands; working towards the center of her ranks at a much faster rate then when they initially started.

During her hard work, Robin moved his own pieces slightly, mimicking an army that was trying to counter her new formation. Lucina didn't hesitate as she ordered her own troops to move and continue with their momentum.

The princess smiled softly. "With this, your left flank is completely destroyed, which further weakens your core units located at the center – ultimately leaving your general exposed to my aerial support." Lucina voiced out by sending Pegasus Knights to attack the commander of the Plegian army.

Robin shifted the center units towards the left, forcing the old Right-Flank to turn into the center of the army in exchange for weakening their overall position. Such a tactic was a desperate move, it was only used to delay the inevitable defeat while allowing whoever the army was protecting to escape.

However, it could also confuse the enemy tactician and destroy their momentum.

Luckily for the princess, she didn't falter, the Pegasus Knights retreated with little to no delay, allowing the Ylisseans to have a wider window of attacks. "Our archers will be able to barrage your troops now, Robin."

"And the Plegian army falls apart after that.., well done, Lucina." Robin stood up tall with a proud smile.

With a loud sigh and a small grin of her own, Lucina allowed herself to relax in her seat. "I feel like I survived, not just won."

"Did you notice?"

"Yes, this was easier than the previous match... Did you hold back?"

Robin shook his head. "I used an example that one of the famous books – related to war tactics – uses to challenge a basic tactician that is already commanding an army."

Lucina nodded as she glanced back at the pieces before her, despite not actually beating Robin himself, it was nice to hear that she – at the very least – was able to command an army if needed. "I must say, you have an odd way of teaching, but it was most effective by the looks of it."

"You still have a ton of work to do, and studying, even more, will be needed... What I taught you today was meant for commanding armies during a real-time event, so we skipped a ton of the basics that normal tacticians have to learn."

Seeing how the white-haired man started collecting the small little pieces, Lucina decided to help as well in order to speed up the process of cleaning up the war tent. "So what I learned is simple..?"

"No, of course not... Chrom can lead units, and you can also lead, but you both rely on the minimum basics and drag out a battle more then it needs to. Remember the day we found Nowi and Gregor, near the oasis?"

"Of course,"

"I specifically remember pointing out a plan, and being told such a strategy was insanely risky,"

Lucina – with a wooden piece in hand – paused and looked at a figurine. "I failed to see such an opportunity on the spot."

"Correct," Robin took the piece in her hand, she looked up at him and noticed his warm smile as he explained. "Today's lesson was about opening up your eyes, and to improve your sense of tactics and command. What you did just now to beat the Plegian army is a great example of that, for instead of retreating out of fear of the unknown, you followed your own momentum and secured the win quickly before more soldiers fell in battle."

Not accepting the compliment so easily, Lucina shook her head. "I was simply following the word of advice you gave me a couple of times prior to that fight," She paused for a bit and remembered the words properly. "How an army will try to bluff – look weak against its opponent – in order to deliver a strong counterattack when their guard is lowered, it's my job to distinguish the line between a bluff and when the opening is real."

"Yes, that's good advice to follow, but sometimes it won't work – keep that in mind – every Army is a new opponent with various tactics and maneuvers to watch out for," After storing everything into a chest, Robin dusted off his gloves. "So studying up on their compositions of units, previous tactics that they're known for, what they tend to do in order to fend off invaders; all of that is important if you wish to win."

Hearing all of this, Lucina couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, but her endeavors will prove to be useful in the future. "Maybe next we can learn about-" A growl was heard, specifically coming from the princess' stomach.

Silence washed over the room as Lucina's face turned a light shade of pink, prompting Robin to hold in a chuckle by covering his mouth. "Maybe we should go get something to eat," The tactician offered with a knowing smile once he calmed himself down.

Lucina could only nod in agreement and avoid any eye contact – quickly putting on her mask – opting to just follow him in silence as they moved out of the war tent.

* * *

The mess hall – as expected – was lonely, only a few soldiers roamed and ate under the shade of the large open tent. Wooden tables were placed around, legs slightly uneven due to the furniture sinking into the sand, this was also the case with the barrels that the army used as chairs.

"I'll go get us some rations," Lucina offered swiftly, heading over to the nearby convoy withholding their food supplies.

Robin noticed that two shepherds were sitting peacefully at one of the tables, he decided to go greet them. "Good day, Nowi, Gregor."

Both of them turned and smiled as he approached. "Hiya, Robin!"

"Good to see young Robin,"

The tactician sat across from Gregor, not wanting to disturb the Manakete as she quickly returned to messing with a blue banner. "You two seem to be high spirited."

"Gregor is helping wee one with work," The mercenary answered. "Brings a smile to face."

"Work..?" Robin redirected his gaze to the Manakete.

Nowi had her tongue slightly sticking out as she tore the blue banner with caution, it looked as if she making some sort of ribbon.

"What are you working on, Nowi?" Robin finally asked more directly.

Nowi looked up and stared at him before she fully registered what he had asked. "Oh! I'm making gifts for everyone."

"Mind elaborating?"

The Manakete presented him a small blue ribbon, it wasn't too detailed or anything, but it was filled with Nowi's care and symbol of friendship. "I want to give these small Ribbons to everyone in the army,"

Robin now understood why Gregor was happy, for such an idea was enough for the tactician to smile as well. "So you're trying to cheer everyone up."

"Uh huh! I don't like it when everyone is gloomy and sad, so I thought I should do something about it,"

The tactician's smile disappeared, instead, he just stared at the one-thousand-year-old girl with a gentle gaze. He was impressed with her mindset, but Robin couldn't help but wonder if it would be enough.

"I know it isn't something grand," Nowi continued. "But I have lived for many years you know.., and well..."

"Being sad isn't something new to you," Robin finished for her, Nowi simply included her head at such a remark, confirming that he was indeed correct.

 _'Nowi is extremely mature, even if she doesn't look or act like it. I'm sure her actions will be a small step towards the right direction...'_ Robin kept the thought to himself as he noticed Lucina approach the table.

"I'm afraid we only have these type of rations," The masked swordswoman handed over a plain white bar, that was neatly wrapped in eatable paper.

After grabbing his fair share, Robin let out a disappointed sigh as he took a bite out of it. "We're going to have a couple of food issues it seems." He said after giving a distasteful face.

Nowi stood up suddenly. "I'm going to deliver these now," She held up a small bag that contained all of her work.

"Hang on Nowi, are you planning on giving those to _everyone?_ "

The Manakete nodded happily at Robin's question.

"Maybe you should just stick with the Shepherds, and some Ylissean soldiers; Regna Ferox aren't demoralized that much, in fact, I have reason to believe that Feroxi troops are itching to fight as we speak."

Nowi gave the tactician uncertain eyes. "That sounds like a great idea, but I have one small issue..."

Robin gave her a quizzical look, prompting the Manakete to explain.

"I have no idea who is who," She laughed nervously.

With a small chuckle, Robin stood up with his half-eaten ration in hand. "Fine, guess it can't be helped, I'll lend a hand."

"Really?" Nowi's face lit up with excitement.

Lucina – now curious – couldn't help but ask what was going on. "Help with what?"

"Nowi made some ribbons for everyone, she's trying to cheer them up, even if its a small bit."

At first, Lucina smiled and was close to sounding excited, but then she realized she needed to stay in character. "I see, that's a good idea, let me help as well." Despite knowing her act, Robin wore an amused smile upon hearing her monotone voice.

"Gregor sees that everyone is helping wee one now! That's very good news, let us all go and help new friends get on their feet."

Everyone nodded and left the mess hall, Robin led the way as he knew the camp layout the most; they soon reached their first destination – just as the tactician finished his ration – the medical tent.

"Is anyone in here?" Robin knocked on the wooden board, not wanting to intrude any clerics working inside.

"One second!" That voice belonged to Lissa, and knowing she was there, Robin gave Nowi the signal to prepare the gift for the young princess.

The tent flaps spread open and out came the Ylissean princess. "Oh, Robin – whoa, everyone is here – what's up?"

Robin's eyes lingered on Lissa for a bit, her hair was let loose – no longer held up by her usual pony-tails – and her eyes were bloodshot. "We have a special delivery."

As he said that, Nowi approached Lissa with the blue ribbon in hand. "Here you go! I hope you feel better soon..."

Lissa stared at the Manakete's hands for a bit before gingerly grabbing the small piece of fabric. "... A ribbon," She managed to mutter out, a small smile appeared on her face.

Their tactician decided to start walking towards the next destination, the others caught up with him after they said their goodbyes with Lissa.

Once they were out of view, Lissa returned to her tent and stared at the gift, her vision started getting blurry as tears slowly welled up in her eyes.

"... Why am I crying again?" Despite the tears cascading down her cheeks, she still wore a gentle smile. "E-Emm... I need to be strong... I'm getting sick and tired of being a wimp and crying all the time."

Lissa clutched the ribbon tightly, rubbing the tears from her face before returning to her work with her shaky upturned lips.

 _ **…  
**_  
The sun had long since started to set; Robin and co were back in the mess hall, waiting for dinner.

"Phew," Robin sat on a barrel; making it sink slightly into the sand with his weight. "That was everyone, correct?"

"Nope!" Nowi announced

Before anyone could question her, the Manakete simply reached into the bag and pulled out three remaining ribbons. "I saved these ones for you guys,"

Nowi handed one over to Lucina, then Gregor; Robin received his last. "Thank you, Nowi," The tactician voiced out for everyone.

Lucina decided to tie the gift around Falchion's hilt, to a set a remainder each time she drew her blade out in battle – Gregor followed this example, doing the same with his own Steel-blade.

As for Robin, he tied it around his right wrist. Somehow, he felt a stronger bond with all the Shepherds and the Kingdom he was currently fighting for.

"Hey, Robin," Nowi caught his attention. "I've noticed that you weren't as hurt as the others, and it seemed as if you understood me completely as to why I don't like being sad."

Everyone else at the table stared at him with the corner of their eyes, only Nowi looked at him directly. For a while, the tactician didn't respond, prompting Nowi to almost give up on receiving an answer.

Such a question was considered rather blunt and harsh, but Robin didn't want to blame the Manakete for having a different mindset when compared to the human race; so he decided to answer Nowi just this once.

"... Emmeryn's death.., it did hurt me, but I would be lying if I said it wounded me greatly like the others."

"Oh, so you didn't know the nice lady that much either?" Nowi was referring to herself, for the Exalt's death didn't bother the dragonkin too much; for lack of better words, the two were strangers to one another.

"I did," Robin corrected. "The reason behind me not being affected greatly by the Exalt's sacrifice, was due to already having previous experiences with losing someone dear to me."

Few people knew that the tactician didn't remember his past completely, and even fewer – only one person – knew that he wasn't from this world.  
For Robin – having already lost Emmeryn before – potentially witnessing Ricken's death, and also seeing Lucina perish in his arms; caused few wonders to be left as to why he accepted this Emmeryn's death so quickly.

The tactician's emotions were scarred, that much was at least true, but his reactions to them were also numbed greatly.

"Gregor agrees," The mercenary spoke up. "For Gregor has also lost someone close before..."

For a second, Robin caught an immense amount of guilt and pain in Gregor's eyes, but the tactician decided to ignore it for now.

"I have also suffered through losing close ones..." Lucina added grimly while staring at her lap.

Silence washed over the table, and it would have stayed like that if it wasn't for a certain Manakete. "Ah! I don't like this one bit, c'mon we're supposed to live in the present to its fullest!"

Robin shook his head. "Such a thing isn't easy for us humans," He muttered to himself. "But don't worry, Nowi, just give us some time and we'll be back up on our feet in no time."

"If you say so..." Nowi swung her feet back in forth as she sat impatiently.

Suddenly, a commotion could be heard nearby, it sounded as if soldiers were cheering for something. "Sounds like something rally them up," Robin's curiosity was enough for him to get up and check it out.

Following Robin's lead, the small group went over to where soldiers have gathered up.

"So you might be wondering why the food has been terrible as of late," The voice belonged to Basilio, he was standing on top of a wooden crate as he spoke. "Well, it so happens that we've decided to have a little feast tonight – but that isn't all – such great food must be accompanied by a great show!"

A round of applause was given as Olivia came into view, wearing her dancer's outfit, her cheeks were flared up in embarrassment – no doubt she was fighting the urge to run away as well.

"It'll be hosted over at the Feroxi camp," Basilio continued. "Everyone here is welcomed to join for dinner!"

The audience cheered in delight, both for the promise of a great meal, and the chance of seeing Olivia perform for them.

"Interesting," Robin commented as he watched the Khan and pink-haired dancer leave the scene.

"Greetings, Robin!" Stahl approached him.

"Stahl, I'm guessing you're going over to the show?"

"Of course," The knight rubbed his hands together. "Do you think they'll have some meat? Or maybe even some pies! Oh man, I'm starving..."

A chuckle escaped the tactician's mouth. "Want to come with us?"

"Sure thing, let me just go tell Sully and Kellam before we go."

* * *

In the end, all the Shepherds showed up at the feast, mostly due to the great food that was promised. Tables were scattered around for people to take up and chat with their respective friends or allies, while some of the soldiers were busy putting up lanterns before the sun completely disappeared below the horizon.

All was well, however, one of the Shepherds had decided to take a small walk around the perimeter, his black coat swaying as a strong breeze blew by.

"Seems as if the weather will be in our favor tonight," Robin's eyes glanced up at the open sky.

His mind was racing with different ideas as of late, but the tactician needed to send a few scouts around their base of operations. Waiting in the desert left the Ylissean and Feroxi troops wide open against the enemy, and there was a high chance that they were being surrounded by them.

"Dueling with unpleasant thoughts?" A male voice called out.

Robin turned to face Chrom. "Not really," The former responded. "I was thinking about what our next course of action should be."

"Ah," Chrom took the liberty to walk up to his tactician and stare at the sky.

A long pause of silence washed over them, Robin of course just stood there awkwardly, not sure why the prince had approached him in the first place; occasional glances towards the bluenette confirmed that Chrom was still gazing at the sky.

"So.., is there something you wanted to speak to me about?" Robin finally summed up the courage to ask.

"... I felt as if I needed to thank you, just like I thanked Nowi." Chrom had a gentle expression on his face, but his eyes were still glued toward the faint stars.

Caught slightly off-guard, Robin stared at the prince with a raised eyebrow. Realization washed over the tactician's face upon noticing a small blue ribbon tied around Falchion's hilt.

"When we went to go see you," Robin continued with a smile. "Sumia said you were busy – the same story she used to cover up your absence during the war meeting this morning."

Chrom chuckled and nodded. "Yes," His expression showed that the prince was recalling those short moments with the Pegasus Knight. "And then she took the responsibility of giving me the gift for you guys."

"If you don't mind me asking-" Robin turned to face the lord directly. "Just what exactly were you busy with?"

With a shaky smile – rubbing the back of his own head – Chrom took a step back and thought of an excuse. "Well you see," He paused, but nothing believable came to mind. "Let us just say I had a few reports to manage."

"Reports? Seriously, Chrom is that the best you can come up with..?"

"Hey, now! It's true..."

"You and I both know that reports are managed by me, and only me..." Robin stared at him distrustful eyes. "C'mon, you can tell your tactician – I promise that the secret will be taken to the grave, for I have yet to let a single one escape my lips."

"Despite sounding confident, I can't help but have doubt in your words.., especially since you only have a few weeks worth of memories."

Robin gasped, hurt by the prince's words. "You know such a thing is a sensitive topic," He said with exaggerating gestures.

"Oh? I didn't know I was contracting an actor and not a tactician."

In a monotone voice, Robin went back on track with the topic at hand. "So tell me, what is on your mind?"

Chrom finally took the white-haired Plegian serious for once. "Lots of things, Robin... However, someone keeps managing to stay within my main focus."

The tactician didn't bother speaking, he let Chrom take his time and continue on his own for now.

"Just this morning, I was so distracted with my own emotions; my foot got stuck in the sand and I tripped..."

"Well then, I see why Frederick picks up pebbles, but I doubt the man can shovel all the sand in the nearby radius."

Chrom chuckled. "Please don't tell him I fell, I have a feeling Frederick would actually do such a thing..."

Robin couldn't help but shiver at such a possibility, cause deep down, he felt as if the Knight would seriously be able to achieve such an impossible task.

"Anyhow," The Lord continued. "Sumia happened to be there-"

"Seriously? Ain't that ironic,"

"Please, Robin,"

"Sorry, sorry..." He let the prince continue.

"Which is how she ended up recommending me a nap – meanwhile – Sumia went and told you that I would be busy."

As the tactician processed the story, Chrom recalled what he spoke about with the knight. How he felt it was his duty to look strong in front of his soldiers, and not let his emotions get in the way at such an important time.

Sumia, on the other hand, wasn't happy to hear such things coming from the prince's mouth. Going as far as telling Chrom that resting and letting his emotions fly was the best thing to do at such a time, lest he wanted to end up burning himself out.

"So that's why we couldn't find you," Robin muttered out. "You were asleep the entire morning, and slept through a few hours of the day."

Chrom nodded, but he also wore an apologetic face. "Yes, it seems as if my body was exhausted without me even realizing it. Luckily Sumia was there to point out such a thing."

"Marry her."

"... Pardon?" Chrom's face shifted to a dumbfounded one.

"You can't be _that_ dense, Chrom..."

"What are talking about, Robin?"

"Sumia obviously cares for you greatly, and you also have eyes for her – I'm just saying that you two should become an item."

Chrom's face was starting to heat up. "I have no time to think about such things at this moment,"

An amused chuckle escaped Robin's mouth. "Very well, I'll stop..."

Accepting the tactician's challenge, Chrom decided to fight back. "Surely you have feelings for some of the women in our group as well... Or perhaps you don't swing that way; considering how close you're getting to Marth."

Robin turned to see the prince developed a sly grin. "Are you seriously going that far?" The tactician could have sworn that his eyebrow was twitching in annoyance. _'If only you knew, Chrom, if only you knew... Wait, actually, I think it would be best if you never know - cause I'm sure you'll punch my face in.'_

Just seeing Robin's face made the prince crackle - between the prince's laughter - he warned the tactician to never let Lissa see such a face, or else he would regret it for the rest of his life.

After a minute or so of listening to Chrom's laughter, the prince finally composed himself and smiled. "Thank you, Robin."

Robin simply nodded, for the words of gratitude weren't given because he gave the prince a good laugh, but for distracting Chrom's mind from the lingering issues at hand.

"There you two are!" A cheery voice called out to them, both men turned to see Stahl approaching them. "You both _have_ to hurry, they got bear meat on the menu!"

Both Robin's and Chrom's eyes widen. "Bear meat?" They said in unison before turning to look at each other.

Chrom was the first one to exit his trance, quickly making a run for it in a full sprint. "It's all mine!"

"C-Chrom!?" Robin chased after the prince, conjuring a weak spell as he ran. "Wind!"

The spell nailed the Lord in the back and caused him to hit face first into the sand. Chrom spat out sand that got inside his mouth, growling at the laughing tactician that ran by.

Stahl watched – with a confused expression – as Chrom jumped up and dashed after the white-haired Shepherd with all his might. "... Just how much meat do they plan on eating?" He shook his head and also ran towards the tables before the food _magically_ disappeared.

* * *

 _Location: West Coast of the Border Wastes_

The Ylissean and Ferox army marched through the drylands, to the west was a large cliff that dropped down to the vast blue sea, to the east was a large lake of water that stretched for miles. Soon enough, they would reach the Longfort, and retreat safely behind the Feroxi borders if all things went well.

However, in war, nothing is expected to go well. "Milord!" Phila landed in front of the lead group, which consisted of both Khans, Chrom, and Robin. "The Plegian army is directly behind us! They have taken the field in hopes of destroying us."

Chrom's eyes widen, his first instinct was to look at his tactician – who was already thinking – in hopes of an answer.

"The final battle," Robin suddenly muttered. "They brought it to us, fully aware of our weakened state... If we don't hold them off, they will chase us into Regna Ferox territory and conquer the Longfort. We have no choice but to fight, while the injured are escorted toward the borders. "

Basilio laughed. "That's exactly what I was hoping you would say!"

"Flavia," Robin redirected his attention to the Khan. "Command the troops to guard against the east, we shall use the cliff as a natural cover against their infantry soldiers when it comes to our west flank."

"Sounds like a plan, let's go, Oaf, we got some Plegian arse to kick." Both Khans left the scene.

Chrom took a step forward, he commanded Phila and the Pegasus Squadron – with the exception of Sumia – to get ready to guard their flanks against any Wyvern Riders.

Once the Feroxi troops moved into position, all that was left were the Shepherds and the Winged-knights, who would stand their ground against the main forces of the Plegian army for the most part.

"We're severely outnumbered," Chrom muttered as he watched the enemy come into view.

Robin grit his teeth as he observed the intense amount of Plegian troops marching. "We'll have to retreat slowly if they continue their pace, or we will get annihilated."

Frederick – who observed from the top of his steed – noticed golden banners with the Plegian symbol come into view. "The royal guards?" The knight's words caused everyone to turn heads.

"Gangrel is here as well?" Robin couldn't believe his eyes, he was not expecting the royal knights to be here. "Is he truly so confident in winning?"

Chrom felt his heart racing. "... Today we end the war then," The prince took a few steps forward before turning to look at his Shepherds.

"Everyone!" They all looked at their prince upon hearing him shout. "My Shepherds.., my warriors, there is work to finish. Gangrel must be stopped here and now so that peace can once again reign throughout the land... Will you help me once more?"

For a while, no one responded, but a few proud smiles were starting to appear among their ranks.

"You can count on me!" Lissa shouted. "I'm so tired of crying, it's time to start punching stuff!"

Just hearing the princess' energetic words caused the other Shepherds to cheer and add inspiring words of their own.

"Hear, hear, darling!" Maribelle cheered. "Our people have suffered enough."

Stahl's mount whinnied as it stood up on its hind legs. "Gladly would I fight and die for House Ylisse!"

Sully quickly corrected him. "Gladly would I fight and _Kill_ those dastards for House Ylisse."

"Our hearts echo with yours, sire..." Libra's eyes were closed as he sent a quick prayer. "Naga will guide us to a world of peace."

Sumia – who would be fighting alongside Chrom – lifted her spear proudly. "I shall be the unbreakable shield by your side!"

Robin heard a mysterious male voice say something next to him, but it was quickly drowned out by Vaike's booming words.

"Teach is here, and class is in session!"

Even Panne wielded a strong smile. "Your sister has earned my respect. The last taguel shall champion her."

"You have grown strong Milord," Frederick was proud of the young prince. "I may have set a poor example as a knight.., but I swear to you, I shall die before any more exalted blood is spilled!"

Phila couldn't agree more with the stalwart-knight. "Your sister.., I can see her image growing inside of you my prince. Know that she is watching over all of us with a proud smile, that much I am certain of."

"Thank you, everyone," Chrom held the urge to tear up as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You honor me with your fealty, truly... I will not falter again, we shall answer this outrage together! The mad-king _will_ be stopped!"

Everyone roared in agreement, their spirits have been lifted and the Shepherds were back in full power.

Basilio whistled in amazement as he re-entered the scene. "You young folks – your passion runs so hot! If I had any gray hair left, you would've singed them right off!"

Flavia had also returned for some reason. "We got some good news for you folks,"

Robin lifted an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"The Plegian army on the East side is in disarray."

"What!?" Chrom and Robin shouted in unison.

Flavia smirked. "Infighting is happening as we speak, Plegian troops are abandoning their station while chanting the previous Exalt's name, her words and sacrifice have made her a folk hero of sorts."

"Emm..," Chrom looked down at the blue ribbon tied around Falchion, everyone who observed their prince did the same.

Robin smiled warmly as he looked down at his own, no longer did he see his right hand in disgust due to the small gift Nowi willingly made for everyone.

"Why did it took me so long to understand?" Chrom suddenly continued. "She believed all people desire peace, Emmeryn knew deep down, that the Plegians wanted it too. It just took her to bring it to the surface."

Falchion was held high, the sacred sword sang as it left the sheath. Sunlight hit the blade and made it shine brightly.

"Today my blade fights – not to continue a war – but to bring peace to the land!" The Shepherds gave one last inspired cheer.

Chrom lowered the sacred blade and led the way towards the remaining forces that stayed loyal to Gangrel. _'I hope she can see this, wherever she is... Ending the war was her last wish, that I shall fulfill.'_

 **...**

Both armies were face to face, Chrom silently stood in front of his Shepherds as he watched Gangrel's loyal men shift around into position.

Soon enough, the Plegian King emerged from wherever he was hiding and stood – protected by two heavily armored knights – in front of his men. "Good day, my little princeling! Still dreaming about your squashed sister?"

"No more talk, Gangrel," Chrom responded calmly. "Today, you die, and peace returns to Ylisse and Plegia."

"Pah! Such hypocrisy!" Gangrel held up a hand and started counting on his fingers. "You despise me, wretch! You want to cut me down! You want nothing more but to have my head on a pike! You don't know the first thing about peace, no man does!"

The ylissean prince simply narrowed his eyes. "I know more than you ever will."

"More than me? More than _me_!?" Gangrel let out a crackle. "You are _me!_ When life asks you a question, you answer with blood."

"Maybe you're right," Chrom glanced to the side, Falchion was planted in the ground by his side. "I will never be my sister.., I cannot forgive men like you – men who sow nothing but evil – just like she did... All I have left are her words and memories.., and were I alone, I would have been driven into madness just like you.., or worse."

The prince grabbed the hilt of the sacred blade – memories of his father using the weapon for wrong filled his mind. "But I am not alone..!" He drew Falchion and pointed the tip toward Gangrel. "My friends and brothers-in-arms stand behind me!"

"... Are you done?" Gangrel asked with widening eyes. "May I vomit now?" Those eyes of his narrowed as a grin appeared on his face. "What a flowery harangue! Men are beast, nothing more! We fight; we kill; we devour our prey!"

Gangrel's laughter filled the battlefield, both sides seemed to be fed up with the King's words, but the men that stood next to him have learned to ignore his words.

"Beast do not stand behind beast, little prince," Gangrel continued. "They use each other only so long as it suits their own selfish purpose!"

Chrom lifted an eyebrow. "Perhaps this explains why your own soldiers refuse to stand behind you? You're nothing more than a poison – a festering wound – and I will do what my sister could not; cure the disease that you are."

"Such a clever tongue you have, little prince... I'm willing to bet it would look quite fetching hanging on my mantle, next to your sister's corpse!"

"... Your words bore me, Gangrel," Chrom let out a sigh. "Let our blades do the speaking, I am quite sure they would be far more entertaining than a jester acting as a king."

Robin carefully observed the Prince's movements, awaiting the signal of engagement that would be represented by Falchion's tip pointing toward the sky.

Lucina stood next to the tactician, they would charge alongside Chrom and Sumia, a team that was specifically aiming for the snake's head in order to end this conflict once and for all.

Suddenly, a roar was heard coming from the east. "Wyvern-Rider!" One of the Shepherds shouted in alarm.

"Hold!" Another one voiced out. "They have a Ylissean banner!"

"Robin," Chrom spoke out, eyes still glued to the Plegian army. "Go and greet our unexpected guest, I'll give the command should the enemies move."

Not questioning the prince's orders, Robin moved to intercept the Wyvern-Rider. _'They don't seem to be against us.., and Flavia said that the rebellion was coming from that side.'_ As the Rider came closer, Robin noticed the familiar face.

The wyvern landed. "So we meet again, tactician."

"... Orton?"

The General had a bandage wrapped around his head – it covered his left eye – and looked heavily injured. "Surprise to see me alive?" Seeing how Robin didn't respond, he continued. "I have come to tell you that you shouldn't worry about your flanks, no Wyvern-Riders are going to get near your troops."

"Y-You're on our side now?"

"Your eyes seek answers.., very well, I shall explain my reasoning swiftly; after you accept this." Orton tossed his spear harmlessly.

Robin barely caught it with both hands, a look of surprise was plastered on his face. "I don't understand..."

"While I laid on the ground in defeat, your Exalt's words rang in my ears.., and when I heard Gangrel speak in response to her death; nothing but disgust against my own king filled my heart. A man who dresses up in gold and makes you feel ashamed for being a Plegian doesn't deserve to lead this land."

"So you joined the rebellion?"

"Correct, and I brought the Wyvern-Squadron with me, my men prefer to fight by my side once more than that poor excuse for a king," Orton pointed at the spear. "I have no use for that weapon anymore, for I cannot fight due to my injuries, use it against Gangrel, that's the only favor I ask of you."

"Sorry for the barrage of questions, Orton – but what even is this thing?"

"A Hexlock-Spear, the sigils on the shaft is what makes it so special – I'm sure our fight in the courtyard showed what it can do."

Robin nodded and grabbed the weapon properly, pressing the shaft against his right elbow as the spear tip hovered over the ground the proper amount. "Good, it seems to be the right size for me," He extended his arm outwards to the side, further demonstrating that the lance was an extension of his arm; as it perfectly went across his frame behind him.

Orton allowed himself to smile for once. "Best if you get going, for it seems that the Plegian army – the remnants – are about to move."

"Thank you, Orton, your assistance is greatly appreciated."

"No need to thank me, tactician... Merely end the war for all of us, there's no sense in it anymore.., I realized that a bit too late it seems."

Robin watched the General whip the reins of his steed, his Wyvern growled as its wings expanded and created a strong gust of wind once it left the ground.

"I expect a friendly rematch once things are over," Orton shouted from above. "We are currently tied, one to one."

The Plegian leader flew away as Robin let his eyes linger on the figure that grew smaller and smaller.

"Robin," Lucina reminded him of what must be done.

He turned and gave her a short nod. "Let's fight alongside each other one more time, Marth."

In the distance, Chrom lifted his blade, giving the signal to charge forward in a spear formation. Frederick, Sully, and Stahl were the spear tip, their intimidating charge would break the Plegian ranks and open up a path for the prince to strike the heart - Gangrel.

Robin and Lucina were right behind Sumia's steed that carried Chrom, only when an enemy Cavalier intercepted them did the former duo caught up with the two.

"Sumia, I'll be jumping off!" Chrom swiftly dismounted, the Pegasus Knight positioned herself alongside the prince and blocked the enemy's spear with her own.

Chrom followed up by jumping and slashing the Cavalier's thigh, causing the man to growl in pain as they retreated into the safety of the Plegian ranks.

A shadow loomed over the prince, the latter followed his instincts and blocked an Axe that was wielded by an armored mercenary. "Captain, jump back!"

Chrom followed the Knight's words, Sumia pulled the reins and commanded her steed to kick the _Hero_ with its front hooves; allowing its rider to follow up with her spear once the Plegian was sent off-balance.

"More enemies incoming!" Robin announced as he ducked under a sword and swung his spear around himself – low to the ground – forcing the swordmaster to jump.

Lucina saw the opening and dashed in with blistering speeds, slashing the enemy before they even touched the ground.

Not wasting any time, Chrom pressed forward. "Everyone, keep advancing!"

The Shepherds continued their momentum, even the clerics found themselves on the battlefield but were quickly protected by Lon'qu, Vaike, and a very intimidating large bunny.

Meanwhile, Frederick's steed charged through the enemy like they were nothing, the Stalwart-knight was constantly causing a discord between the Plegian ranks.

"Miriel, the signal!" Robin shouted after disarming a soldier with the length of his spear, he noticed that the Shepherds were starting to slow down due to range attacks.

Said Scholar-Mage summoned a blue flare, the same one that ordered their Winged-knights to move into action. Cordelia and Phila saw the light underneath the clouds, the latter gave the order to dive, all fourteen soldiers formed a V-Formation as they followed their captain's lead.

Multiple shadows zoomed past the Shepherds as they halted, javelins rained down on the enemy mages and archers just up ahead.

Such a tactic wasn't as effective anymore, due to the Plegians now knowing what the signal meant, but it was still enough to get rid of some of their soldiers.

"Proceed to charge!" Chrom shouted as he saw the opening.

Armored Knights now stood in their way, the Shepherds have reached the royal guards. Robin engaged one of them, parrying their spear with his own and leaving them wide open.

Lucina dashed in and impaled her blade in the Knight's lower abdomen, the Plegian roared in anger and punched her off her feet, which allowed the Plegian to take aim and prepare to kill her on the spot.

However, Robin was quick to intercept the finishing blow – standing above the fallen princess protectively – he spun his spear around his head to create momentum; landing a direct blow into the enemy's heart.

"Are you okay, Lucina?" The sound of battle drowned out their conversation.

Lucina slowly got back up on her feet, but Robin was quick to notice blood dripping down her cheek. "Y-Yes, I am fine."

An inexplicable amount of anger swelled up in Robin's chest upon seeing Lucina's injury. The Plegian Knight had punched her in the forehead, causing the bluenette's mask to dig itself into her skin.

"Stay close to me then," He managed to grumble out as he narrowed his eyes at a nearby opponent.

Together, the duo pressed forward and engaged a mage who was fighting alongside an Armored Knight with ingot plating.

Before they got too close, the enemy mage summoned an Arcwind – the tornado picked up sand and transformed into a sandstorm.

Robin spun in place and swung the Hexlock-Spear – slashing the Arcwind in half and making it vanish – he used the momentum to jump and swing the spear midair, flinging the captured-spell right back at its original caster.

"W-What the!?" The mage quickly summoned an Elfire, both spells collided and reacted violently.

The Shepherd's tactician slammed a foot forward as he took in a deep breath, finger pointing towards his foes. "Let's see you catch this..!" Electricity sparked up as two golden gates appeared in front of him, amplifying his next spell's accuracy.

Thoron was conjured, the beam of light pierced the smokescreen and dissipated it, the result was a spell hitting a hunkered down shield.

Robin was surprised to see a Knight block such an attack, however, the enemy's senses were numbed harshly and caused the Plegian to fall to their knees.

"M-Mage, cover me..." The armored one uttered out.

Without hesitation, the spell caster took out a green tome, emerald sigils started appearing around him.

Robin saw the symbol on the cover and braced himself to challenge the Rexcalibur. "Marth, get behind me!" Lucina quickly took cover.

Once the enemy Plegian muttered the correct ancient words, they opened their eyes and held out a palm. "Your time is up, Ylisseans!"

An idea came to mind as Robin recalled the words Orton told him. _'The shaft is what makes this weapon so special..,'_ An all-out counter-attack was the tactician's best option, and so, he started conjuring a spell of his own.

Two emerald circles of light appeared on opposite sides, one was on the ground, and the other was in front of Robin's outstretched hand.

"Lucina," Robin voiced out softly. "Grab my spear and throw it at my spell."

"...What?"

"Just do it, we have no-" Robin cut himself off as the Rexcalibur spell manifested. "Do it now!"

The princess sidestepped to the side and grabbed his weapon, she took aim at the same time Robin flung his Elwind. Not thinking twice, Lucina threw the spear and nailed both spells before they crashed, both magical incarnations of wind were drained of power and absorbed by the Hexlock-Spear.

A bright green flash blinded everyone in the radius as the spear overcharged, it summoned a tornado exactly where it landed. Sand erupted from the ground and was tossed outwards, Robin covered Lucina with his coat – which sheltered both of them from the grains of sand.

 _'My theory was correct,'_ Robin thought to himself as the spell slowly halted. _'Orton didn't challenge my Thoron.., he knew that the spell was far too powerful for the spear to lock down... That spear – while it has its usages – comes with the risk of overcharging on its user.'_

Neutrality returned to the field, Robin drew his blade and charged in, going straight for the shocked mage.

However, things weren't going to be that easy for the Shepherd. "Going somewhere, Ylissean?" The armored knight intercepted him.

Robin took a defensive position just as the Knight extended his spear outwards, the former blocked the blow swiftly and closed the distance.

When the tactician lifted his blade to strike, the enemy hunkered down his kite-shaped shield and blocked the attack, this limited the Knight's field of vision – Robin took advantage of this.

"Hmm..?" The Knight saw the tactician take a step to the left, which he responded by moving his shield towards that direction.

A smile appeared on Robin's face as he halted and spun around the shield toward the right. "Checkmate!" Blade met flesh, and the armored Knight fell to the ground in one strike.

"Good job," Lucina appeared by his side, she had just finished off the enemy mage.

Robin went over to retrieve his lost weapon, sheathing his blade while doing so. "Where are Chrom and Sumia?"

Such a question didn't go unanswered for long, the duo they were looking for was fighting against a pair of swordsmen. Lucina and Robin reunited with them and finished off the Plegians in their way swiftly, giving them access to the final wave of guards standing in their way.

"There's too many of them," Robin voiced out as he counted five armored knights, all of which were the best fighters that vowed to protect the plegian king with their lives.

"Gangrel, stop hiding behind your men!" Chrom shouted. "Fight me head on!"

The Mad-King's laughter came from the backlines. "You think of me as a fool? Oh little princeling, how naive you're... So naive that you failed to realize the trap I laid out for you."

"Trap..?" Chrom scanned their surroundings, he then noticed a few collapsed stone pillars scattered around.

"Archers!" Gangrel's voice of command was followed by soldiers emerging from the cover of said structures. "Kill them all."

Robin raised a palm, his mind racing as he summoned a circle of wind around them. "Sumia, head back and get the Winged-knights, don't forget Nowi."

Sumia hesitated for a second – not wanting to leave Chrom's side – but their tactician's orders meant life or death. "... R-Right!"

Right before the Pegasus flew into the air, Robin lowered the shield. "Shoot that Pegasus Knight down!" Gangrel yelled as Sumia escaped from the chaos.

Before they could draw their arrows, Robin flung three consecutive wind spells at their direction, causing them to drop their projectiles. "Did you really think I'll allow such a scheme to happen?" The tactician taunted with a serious stare.

Gangrel grumbled to himself as he grit his teeth. "That tactician.., I want his head! He has been nothing but a thorn in my side since the start of this war!"

Bowstrings were drawn back, forcing the trio to watch each other's backs. "I'm not letting anyone from the royal family die again..." Robin muttered before inhaling sharply, he impaled his spear into the ground in order to liberate both hands and put them into action.

Two green emerald gates appeared in front of both of his palms. "Arcwind!" When both the twisters manifest themselves, the tactician commanded them to travel to the side and hit all the archers.

"Guards, seize them already!" Gangrel was growing desperate.

One step was all the knights took; three different types of Anima-Magic nailed them from the skies. The Squadron of Pegasi have returned, and this time they carried Miriel, Ricken, and Tharja.

Nowi's roar was heard as well, Robin didn't have to glance up to know that the Manakete was intimidating the Plegian troops with her presence.

"Chrom, Gangrel is the only one left – go for it – I'll watch your back."

"Thank you, Robin..." Chrom approached the mad-king, nothing stood in his way now, the battle will go undisturbed.

"Y-You think you can kill me alone!?" Gangrel took out an odd sword, the blade itself was in the form of a lightning bolt. "I've sharpened my Levin Sword just for you!"

Chrom shrugged off his words. "I am not alone.., unfortunately, such a thing can't be said for you."

"Your words mean nothing! Peace is but a false ideology that can never happen because of mankind!"

Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose. "As you may already know, my sister wished for our people to know peace, but I am afraid such a word cannot exist in that head of yours."

"So now you act all high and mighty!? Might I remind you that it was _your_ rash decisions that started all of this in the first place-"

"Think again!" Chrom cut him off. "You would have started this damn war sooner or later, my decisions are what brought this outcome, which is restoring harmony across the land."

"F-Fool of a prince.., your people care not for you," The mad-king glanced at his defeated soldiers. "You're alone.., just like every man lives and dies: _alone._ "

Falchion was raised into an offensive stance. "... I pity you." Those were Chrom's last words as he dashed in.

Gangrel took numerous steps back as he pointed his blade upwards, the prince barely had the time to dodge a barrage of lightning bolts striking from above.

Despite the small surprise, Chrom didn't falter and continued his assault, it was enough to reward the prince with closing the gap and forcing Gangrel into direct combat.  
Each time their blades collided, sparks of electricity were sent flying to the sides; Falchion kept slipping off the zigzagged blade, making it impossible for Chrom to force a deadlock.

With one swift motion, Gangrel kicked the prince back and summoned a bolt of lightning – Chrom dodged by rolling to the side. "Give up, little prince! You're weak compared to my swordsmanship-"

"Elthunder!"

The Mad-King backflipped to safety, only when he was safe was he able to trace where the spell came from. "... You!"

Robin's hand was still sparking with electricity. "Yes, me," He pointed his spear at Gangrel. "That weapon of yours is rather deadly, so I'm afraid I'll have to interfere."

"Like I said, Gangrel – I don't stand alone." Chrom stood next to his tactician.

"Clinging to each other won't save you maggots when the boot falls!" A bolt of lightning was sent their way, Robin gracefully blocked it and sent the spell right back to the King.

Gangrel barely had the time to dodge to the side, the tactician wasn't going to stand there idly. "Elwind!"

Dodging the crescent blades of wind was the King's only option, he summoned more bolts of electricity, but none of them hit their mark due to the protective tactician.

"I've had enough of your games, Gangrel," Robin slashed the air and launched a lightning bolt.

Gangrel intercepted the tactician's spell with another bolt, creating a smokescreen to cover the field.

Chrom held his breath as he tried to fan the haze away with a hand. "Can you see him, Robin?" A small fit of coughing attacked the prince.

Not wanting to press his limits even further, Robin decided to wait until a breeze cleaned the field. "No, best if we walk back a bit, in case Gangrel decides to play dirty."

Slowly but surely, the smoke dissipated, allowing the two Shepherds to see the other side safely.

"Wait, where did Gangrel go..?" Chrom's eyes widen in surprise as he saw no one on the other side.

Robin squinted his eyes, searching for the missing King. "Hmm.., maybe he's hiding behind a collapsed-!?" The tactician pointed to a yellow spec running towards the cliff. "How in the world did he get all the way over there!?"

"Why is he running away!? Come on, Robin!"

Both Chrom and Robin chased after the fleeing King, who was sprinting as fast as they could in order to escape.

"Gangrel, you coward!" Chrom shouted as they got closer.

"N-Not going.., to die today!" Gangrel gasped out.

Robin halted suddenly. "Screw this," He pointed a finger at the craven. "I refuse to go on a goose hunt!"

A massive amount of energy was drawn towards the tactician, his coat swaying due to the spirits heeding his command; one deep breath and the image of an arrow was all it took for Thoron to manifest itself once more.

The sonic-boom that was heard due to the force erupting from the golden gate of light alerted the Mad-King.

"N-No! I won't fall here, not like this!" He turned to face the spell, his Sword rained down multiple bolts of electricity, but they only served to increase Thoron's might, his last resort was placing his Levin Sword in front of himself.

Gangrel's vision was blinded by the golden light that consumed him, the force knocked him off the cliff's edge, his mind wandered endlessly as he fell toward the vast blue sea.

 _'… Why? Was I wrong in wanting to unite everyone for a single cause? … Was my method too weak?'_ A cold sensation washed over him as he hit the water, Gangrel's mind faded to black soon after; as he sunk into the dark abyss.

Chrom ran up to the cliff and looked down, only waves crashing against the rocks down below could be seen. "He's.., gone."

Robin would have also walked up to see, but he was far too busy holding himself up via his spear. "I was acting tough the entire time, but I feel as if my head is about to split open..." His body wasn't too happy with his primal way of summoning spells.

"Milord," Phila came into view, alongside Frederick. "Plegian troops are surrendering in masses."

"Tell our troops to cease fighting at once as well, let us reunite with the Khans."

* * *

The Khans, Chrom, Robin, and Lissa watched as countless Plegian soldiers were retreating back to their homeland.

"We would have been in real trouble if they fought us at full force," Flavia admitted, her eyes glued to the incredible amount of troops leaving.

"I had a chat with Orton," Robin continued. "Most of them were villagers, and people who were unwilling to fight in the first place, I can only assume that their sheer size encouraged the King to try and scare us."

Basilio let out a hearty laugh. "Didn't work out well for him, did it?"

"I'll admit; if Gangrel made us retreat behind Feroxi borders, who knows how long it would have taken us to win back the Longfort." Their tactician added rather grimly.

Lissa pinched the white-haired tactician, causing him to yelp. "Oh, don't ruin the mood, Robin!"

"H-Hey, I'm just being realistic here!"

"I don't know, Lissa," Chrom continued. "Somehow I also don't feel like celebrating..."

Basilio nodded in understanding. "Victory can be bitter as well as sweet, commander. It's good you learn that now."

"Commander?" Chrom raised an eyebrow. "What happened to calling me, _boy?"_

The West-Khan simply shrugged. "I guess you worked your way up there, I think... Now, where was I? Ah, yes! Even if you feel bitter for winning, you should at least pride yourself in winning the war – you're a born leader, boy!"

"I thought you weren't going to call me-"

"And that tactician of yours," Basilio cut the prince off as he walked over to Robin – Basilio started patting his back rather roughly. "He a knack for guiding troops to victory, ahaha! Yes, I can already see you both growing tall!"

Once the Khan stopped – assaulting – patting Robin, the latter could have sworn he was close to vomiting a lung.

Flavia laughed at the scene, only to return to a solemn face. "Regna Ferox has lost many good soldiers. We need to see our dead, give them all a proper burial, before we start rebuilding our army once more."

Chrom couldn't help but feel terrible, for if it wasn't for Feroxi's military power, they wouldn't have been able to win the war so quickly. "I'm sorry, Flavia. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.., Ylisse shall compensate your nation in whatever fashion-"

"Then how about you hand over the Fire Emblem so we can call it even?" Everyone paused and stared at the Khan, which caused her to laugh. "Just a bit of Feroxi humor, seriously, don't worry about our finances, Chrom. Reparations will fall to Plegia, and I've seen their treasury – they can well afford it."

An exaggerated sigh left Basilio's mouth. "Yes, pity the man who stands between Flavia and a full coffer, boy."

Everyone laughed at the joke, Chrom spoke up with a small chuckle. "I'll have to remember that when you come visit Ylisstol."

The sound of wings flapping alerted them of the returning Pegasus-Squadron, Phila swiftly reported that everything was in order, and the war has finally been declared as officially over.

Chrom was happy to hear the news, and his eyes locked onto a brunette walking towards him. "Sumia..? Is there something wrong?"

Said Pegasus Knight approached him with a smile, but her eyes told an entirely different story. "No, Captain, I'm just happy to see you're safe, now that the war is officially over..."

"I feel the same, Sumia-" Chrom was reminded of Robin's words – from the previous night – it struck him like a hammer, causing his face to heat up.

Upon seeing the lovestruck duo stand there awkwardly, everyone couldn't help but wear silly grins on their faces.

Lissa stood on her toes and whispered in Robin's ears. "Maybe we should leave them alone."

"Agree, I'm tired of them avoiding their feelings." He whispered back.

Once those two were out of the picture, it wasn't long till the others nearby followed their example, leaving Sumia and Chrom alone.

"S-Sumia," Chrom attempted to start the conversation. "You seem troubled by something."

Sumia glanced down at her feet. "Please, there is no need to pay attention to me... I'm just being weird like usual.., so please forgive my silly self, there was no need for me to worry about your health like that in front of everyone."

"No, don't apologize. I've also been worried about everyone lately..." Chrom took a step toward her. "My sister.., our party, my people... And a certain pegasus knight who is talented in helping me see a brighter future."

Sumia looked up, just enough to gaze into the prince's sapphire eyes. "Milord..?" She then realized what the prince was trying to say, so she openly followed his lead. "To me, you're the brightest thing! That's why I don't want to see you down; because I feel lost without your guidance."

"Despite all the errors I have committed?" Chrom looked to the side in shame. "Many have suffered because of my actions, and next to my sister's legacy.., well, I can't help but feel like I am a disappointment."

"But that is not true!" Sumia's eyes harden. "Everyone fought hard for you. Why would we all do that for a man we don't believe in?"

After a brief pause, Chrom chuckled. "There you go again, always lifting me up when I need it the most..."

Sumia watched the prince reach into his pocket, he took out a necklace that carried a ring – marked with the Ylissean crest. "... Captain?"

"Sumia, I am far from perfect, and I know you can do better when finding another man," Chrom tore the necklace and left only the ring. "But whenever you're close.., you give me strength; will you be my wife, Sumia?"

Upon being presented with the ring, reality hit Sumia hard as her vision became blurry, she stumbled forward and embraced the prince with tears falling down her cheeks.

"H-Hey, are you – come on, don't cry..." Chrom embraced her back.

Despite her best efforts to stop sobbing, she could only speak one word at a time. "S-Sorry.., I accept.., Chrom."

For the first time in a very long time, Sumia said his name, which made his heart flutter. "Thank goodness..."

Words didn't need to be spoken between the two, their warm embrace was enough to speak a thousand words to whoever saw them.  
Chrom was sure he made the right decision, for Sumia was a woman that always did her best when encouraged just enough, and seeing her smile was enough to heal any wounds the prince still had in his heart.

 _ **...**_

Meanwhile, Robin was sitting inside a convoy, treating Lucina's fresh wound – a cut above her right eyebrow.

"Ow!" Lucina yelped in pain.

"Hold still," Robin scolded as he cleaned the wound with a wet cloth.

"I can't help it, it really stings..."

"Well, maybe you wouldn't be in this situation if you got a cleric to heal you with a staff."

As soon as Robin lowered the cloth in order to wash it, Lucina shook her head. "They would have seen my brand, remember?"

"Right..," He grabbed a healing salve. "This is going to hurt a bit, but it'll be done after I apply this."

Robin's fingers - coated in the salve - carefully traced the injury, Lucina clenched her teeth as she endured the pain. Once that was finished, the tactician carefully placed a bandage over it.

"... Done?"

"Yup, good as new," Robin admired his work with a proud smile. "Hey, maybe I should learn a thing or two about using a staff from Lissa..."

Lucina imagined Robin in a cleric's dress, which caused her to giggle.

"What's so funny?" Robin raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms defensively.

However, the princess simply shook her head and composed herself. "I can teach you if you like,"

"You know how to use a staff?"

"Of course, back in my time, such an ability was incredibly important – but of course, aunt Lissa is more talented than I am, so learning from her would be better."

Robin thought about it for a second before shaking his head in denial. "Lissa would probably laugh at me everytime I fail, so I would feel more comfortable learning from you."

"If that's what you wish, then I'll do my best.., and in a way, I will be repaying you for the training lessons you have given me."

The tactician stood up and gave the swordswoman a hand, which she gratefully took. "Seems like a plan then, which also means you're stuck with me."

"... Have I been tricked?"

A chuckle escaped the tactician's lips. "Looks like someone needs to study up on such things next time we have the chance."

Lucina let out a sigh. "Robin.., staying with the Shepherds doesn't seem like a good idea to me."

"What if I told you I've been thinking about a plan ever since our conversation underneath the starry sky."

This was enough to intrigue the Princess. "I wouldn't mind hearing about it on our way back to Ylisstol..."

* * *

 **AN: Finally! The first act is finished, and I have survived the clutches of the unshakeable plot line that is this part of the story...**

 ** _Next act: intermission, two year grace period._**

 **I am extremely excited for this part of the story, for my world building skills will be put to the test, all while our favorite couple starts to grow stronger _'Together'!_**

 **As for now, let us just say that I have many ideas swirling around my busy mind, but if you guys would like to add extra ingredients to the pot that I am currently brewing, I certainly welcome it!  
I am not sure how long this Act will be, so the Valm war might take awhile to arrive, but I can assure you that the romance will start well before the war starts.**

 _Sidenote:_

The hexlock-Spear:

was modified greatly from its Fate's counterpart; just to be frank, the appearance of the weapon itself is extremely dull, the spearhead is a simple design that is commonly used by Steel-Lances, however, the black shaft decorated in white sigils is up to the reader's imagination when it comes to how they look like.

Villains:

I like to keep their side of the story a bit more hidden when compared to other stories, I'll be working on making them a more lingering - slightly ominous - danger that lurks over the horizon. That's why I skipped the scenes that had Aversa, who at this point, already abandoned Gangrel. (And Who knows, maybe she is the one who convinced Gangrel to chase the Ylisseans/Feroxeans *Insert wink*)

 _Levin Sword:_

Yes, it was lost alongside Gangrel - I have plans for its return in the future.

Sumia and Chrom pairing:

Truly sorry if you don't like how different their conversation was when compared to the in-game version, I just didn't like Sumia's emotions being all over the place considering she was right next to Chrom - almost the entire time - this chapter.

 _Olivia's Absence:_

I don't like where the game places her, it won't sync up with my story too well, so her recruitment will be added at a later chapter - I already have it planned out, since it was something I looked into doing since Chapter 1.

 ** _Closing message:_**

That's pretty much all I have to say, for now, next chapter is still a mystery, even to me. So if you want to see something happen before the Valm war, leaving a suggestion will most likely increase its chances of happening sooner than later.

Until we meet again, in the next chapter.


	16. Chapter 16: The Start Of Their Adventure

_Chapter 16: The Start Of Their Adventure._

After the Plegian war was over, the Shepherds returned to Ylisstol as heroes. Prince Chrom and Robin worked tirelessly to restore Ylisse's splendor during the first month; this would be no easy task, for the war had taken a heavy toll on the halidom.

However, with the help of Feroxi muscle, and Plegian gold, it wasn't long till the duo brought a stable balance throughout the land – enough for everything to naturally heal over time. Despite many nobles recommending the Prince to take the title of Exalt, Chrom forswore the title for now, out of respect for his late sister.

The story continues a few months later, during the cold season of winter, just a day before Chrom's grand wedding, that shall be attended by thousands from near and far.

Such a tale will be told in the eyes of a specific Shepherd, who also rejected an important title - Grandmaster - until Chrom accepted the position of Exalt.

"Robin!" Chrom knocked on the tactician's door before opening it. "Hey, can you help me out here?"

"If you're going to knock, why don't you wait till I respond?" Robin let out a sigh, he lifted his tired head from his work desk.

The tactician's hair was messier than usual, and he wasn't wearing his coat, luckily the fireplace nearby kept the man warm from the frigid winter cold.

"Because this is my castle," Chrom smirked as he showed off two suits. "Which one do you think suits me better?"

Robin observed them, one was your typical black suit, the other one was a royal blue. "The blue one; suits the new King of Ylisse the most."

"I thought so," Chrom looked at the suit up and down one last time. "Frederick said the same thing."

"Then why did you come and ask me?"

"Well aren't you grumpy," The Lord chuckled. "I just wanted an excuse to see my best man before the wedding."

"... Chrom, I'm not trying to be rude, but my head still hurts from that damn bachelor party!" Robin clutched his head in pain after shouting that. "W-Why did you invite Basilio..?!"

"Why wouldn't I invite him to the wedding? He's the West-Khan, who was a great help-"

"No, I get that," Robin continued. "I'm talking about Basilio being invited to the bar, you know how crazy it gets with him around..."

"If I recall, you didn't drink that much though, so why are you complaining?"

Robin gave the man a solemn face. "My head doesn't hurt because of a hangover, my head hurts because Basilio suplexed me while he was drunk and broke a table in half with my skull! For crying out loud, Lissa was crying while healing me because she thought I would die!"

As if finally recalling the memory, Chrom smiled fondly. "What a crazy night, wasn't it?"

With a sigh, Robin gestured with a hand at his suit. "By the way, why are you acting so calm? I'm sure the suit isn't the only reason you came here."

In a heartbeat, Chrom's facade shattered, his face shifted to that of panic and desperation. "Frederick said I should act like him but it isn't working Robin! My interior is shaken to the core due to how many people are going to be present! What are we going to do if Gaius eats the entire cake? … Gods! What if Sumia trips and falls on the cake!?"

"I should have known..," Robin closed his eyes and deflated in his chair. "I'll assign Frederick on guard duty when it comes to the cake, he'll be able to catch our clumsy Queen – or sugar addict – with ease. Just relax, leave the hard work to your groomsmen, we'll make sure to keep everything in order."

"R-Right," Chrom took a deep breath and collected himself. "I'm just a bit nervous is all..."

Robin stood up and made his way over to the concerned Lord. "Nervous about what? You should be happy, a wedding is the next big step to an important stage of your life."

"Thank you, Robin. Your words speak the truth, however, I still can't help but worry a bit." The bluenette made way to leave the room, but as he stepped out, he turned to remind Robin of an important item. "Don't forget the ring by the way, or else I'll really have your head."

"Leave it to me..?" Robin watched the man leave with a small spring to his step, the way Chrom said that so casually made the tactician think he would actually do such a thing.

After everything was said and done, Robin decided to return to his office, he didn't bother closing the door this time.

The workload that was initially given to him after the war was starting to calm down, things were slowly returning to their initial state of balance and harmony.  
What more, the new Plegian King was said to be kind and collective, the people of Plegia were buzzing with life once more and enjoyed their peaceful lands alongside Ylisse and Regna Ferox.

Robin walked over to his desk and picked up a report, his eyes lingered on the words neatly written in ink. "Hmm, maybe I can do a bit of training this afternoon; Frederick would scold me for even missing a single day."

"Still talking to yourself, I see..."

A familiar voice – that spoke from behind – startled Robin internally. "Fancy meeting you here, Lucina."

Once he turned, his eyes locked on to a smiling princess that still wore a butterfly-shaped mask. She looked a bit taller now, reaching Robin's chin with her full height.

"Two months have passed, but I'm finally back as promised." Lucina stood there proudly.

Robin gestured to a chair. "Good to see you again, friend; mind telling me how your journey went alongside a warm cup of tea?"

Lucina happily nodded, she went over to sit down as Robin prepared the warm beverage. "Feroxi is extremely cold this time of the year," The princess started. "So the weather back here in Ylisse is very mild."

"Really? Man, I can't even handle the snow down here... Good thing we have no business wandering back up to Regna Ferox."

"Personally, I would recommend training up there, Robin."

The tactician handed over a cup a tea, which Lucina thanked him for as he sat down across from her. "A bit too cold for my taste.., but I get why you offer such a thing, such a place would most likely boost anyone's endurance."

Lucina had left to train in Feroxian territory for two entire months, her objective was to increase her stamina even further and master the technique of _Galeforce,_ not only that, but training against Feroxi soldiers most likely increased her overall strength when it came to blocking and withstanding enemy attacks.

"You're correct," She confirmed Robin's theory after half finishing her cup. "The power behind my stance has tremendously improved. I'll be happy to demonstrate in a sparring match if you like."

Robin chuckled. "So you really did hear me talking to myself," He rubbed the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. "I'll accept your proposal then."

* * *

 _Courtyard - Training grounds._

Lucina waited in the training grounds, the area had recently been cleared of snow. "What is taking Robin so long?" She had finished up warming up, and Robin had yet to make his appearance after saying he would get ready first.

"Sorry for the wait," Robin walked out to the field, his attire surprised the princess.

The Shepherd's tactician wore a new coat, it had the same design that his Plegian one did, however, the primary color on his new one was white – the purple lining was switched for a light blue – his sleeves had three marks of the exalt on each arm, and the golden portions were now silver.  
That wasn't the only thing that changed, Robin now wore armored leggings and a matching silver chestplate. He truly looked like a Knight of Ylisse now, especially since he was wielding a Silver-Lance alongside the way he now carried himself.

"Looks like I wasn't the only one who improved themselves," Lucina commented lightly.

"I didn't want to get left behind, so I naturally did my best to keep training,"

"A wise decision, but will it suffice?"

Robin smirked. "Only one way to find out.., I'm ready when you are."

Zero words were spoken as both of them fell into their neutral stances, they stared each other down until a cold breeze blew by. In a split second, the breeze subsided, Lucina took this as her cue to dash in at full force.

 _Pavise_ alarmed Robin of the incoming attack as Lucina vanished and reappeared right in front of him, he barely blocked Falchion with the shaft of his lance.

Before he could counter, the princess was already gone, back to where she originally stood.

"... So you mastered it," Robin couldn't help but smile, he was happy to see that she conquered the skill.

Lucina simply returned the gestured and ran back into the fight normally, Falchion cutting the ground as she approached.  
Every move, with every strike, Robin registered it in his head with each block and parried he performed. Despite Lucina's best efforts to break his defensive play, the tactician didn't move an inch.

She unintentionally fell into a pattern, which Robin took notice of. _'An opening, a small one, but I see it – right after she steps forward with her left foot.'_

Lucina moved to the side and spun, her blade whistling as Robin ducked and slammed an elbow into her guts, however, the princess endured the pain with ease and retreated swiftly.

The tactician spun his lance beautifully above his head before locking it into place under his arm, falling into an offensive stance that taunted the bluenette with the tip of his spear.

With a jump, the princess was already on him once more – it was at this point Lucina fell into a trap that Robin was waiting for – the former took a step forward with her left foot, an upwards vertical slash into an overhead just so happened to be the opening the tactician spotted out.

Robin turned, holding his spear near the spearhead and letting the shaft block her strike – Falchion slid down due to the friction – he quickly spun once more and low kicked her off the ground, allowing Robin to freely position his spear for the final strike as the princess fell.

"It's over-" Robin's words were cut off by the princess' graceful actions.

Lucina caught herself with a single hand before she fell face first to the ground; pushing herself to the side and dodging Robin's incoming strike swiftly.

Following her own momentum, Lucina jumped back into action – delivering two devastating attacks – forcing her foe to block them.

The tactician could only grit his teeth and stand his ground, the strikes – which were double-handed – were extremely powerful for a woman of her size. He tried to parry one of them and destroy Lucina's momentum, but it was futile, the princess kept sending attacks his way with extreme precision.

Such fighting style abused Falchion's unique ability, a sword that is unable to be broken with physical contact.

Said sacred blade was nothing but a blur at this point, Robin's only chance of knowing where the strikes were coming from was due to the movement of Lucina's arm.

At this point, the victor was obvious, there was no point in continuing the fight.

"Lu-" He blocked another attack. "I y-yield! Calm down!"

Lucina slowed down a bit, before halting completely. "Huh?"

"You're going to end up hurting me at the rate you were going," Robin chuckled.

"O-Oh, sorry Robin, I guess I still can't control myself when I fight someone... I just always take it so seriously."

"Considering what you've gone through, I don't blame you at all. But I must say that you've grown a lot stronger, those blows were impossible to counter. Seems like my training wasn't nearly enough to keep up with yours..."

"Yet you stood your ground against me," Lucina pointed at his feet, which haven't moved more than a few inches since the start of the battle. "Fighting you was like trying to defeat a stone wall, Robin."

"Yes, a stone wall that people, like Chrom, can break through with ease..." The tactician made a quick joke about the hidden entrance near the maple.

Not really catching his jest, Lucina decided to change topics. "Speaking of my Father, his wedding is tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Correct," Robin paused for a brief second, an idea came to mind. "You should come and see it."

Lucina frowned. "I'm trying to avoid them as much as possible at the very moment,"

"Nonsense, it isn't every day you get to see your parent's wedding when you're not born yet."

"You're a terrible influence, Robin."

With a small smile, Robin turned to the storage building. "Just let me go return this lance, I'm sure you don't even have anything to wear for tomorrow."

Lucina reached out to stop him, but his coat swayed due to a breeze and made her miss. "I never agreed!" She then followed him.

Before they entered the small building, a voice stopped them. "Robin!"

Said tactician turned to see a familiar face approaching them. "Sumia..?" The soon-to-be Queen was wearing a white dress with a brown coat and matching boots.

"P-Please hide me," She swiftly placed herself behind Robin and hid.

"Um.., mind explaining what's going on, Sumia?"

While Sumia explained that a couple of maids were hunting her down, Lucina couldn't help but stand there awkwardly, hoping that her Mother wouldn't notice her presence too much.

"Just act natural..!" She whispered as a group of servants entered the training grounds.

"Sir Robin," One of the maids approached them. "Have you seen Lady Sumia?"

"Here? Not really," He pointed at the East-Wing. "Have you tried looking in the library?"

"We have not, thank you for the help." They bowed in respect and left.

After a few seconds went by, Sumia poked her head and made sure the coast was clear. "Thank goodness..," She let out a sigh of relief and stepped out of hiding. "Those maids have been trying to do everything for me."

Robin let out a short laugh. "That's their job, Sumia."

"Yes, but I'm not some sort of helpless fragile noble," The brunette crossed her arms. "I have been raised in the countryside for a great portion of my life, and I can pretty much handle everything myself!"

"Oh?" Robin smiled upon seeing Sumia all fired up. "Even hurdling cows?"

"... Except for cows, they annoy me greatly," Sumia grumbled. "Good thing I never had to handle them due to my parents."

"Speaking of your parents, they're going to attend the wedding, right?"

"Of course!" Sumia smiled fondly. "They're very excited – I'm just worried about their safety."

"Worried?"

"They have never been to the capital, so the journey might be a tad difficult for them – they should arrive before dusk though."

"I'm sure Chrom ordered a few Pegasus Knights to escort them,"

"He did, which was very nice of him, especially when he offered them a new land closer to Ylisstol."

"Ah, that's right..," Robin remembered how Chrom wanted him to sign a few papers about such a thing, but in the end, it was canceled by Sumia's family. "Why did they reject such a thing? If you don't mind me asking."

"Leaving their home and having to adjust to the unknown frightens them..." Sumia frowned and looked up at the sky. "I used to be the same until a squadron of Pegasus Knights flew by our village."

Lucina and Robin stayed quiet, the former was especially interested in her mother's tales.

"Watching them fly freely in the open sky and disappearing behind the horizon filled me with curiosity," A smile appeared on the pegasus knight's face. "Questions such as what was out there kept haunting me every time I glanced up, or when I saw the sunset."

"... So that's why you enrolled to be a Knight," Robin concluded to himself.

"Yup! Although my parents weren't too happy with such a decision – I haven't seen them ever since I left – so I'm just glad to have their approval."

Lucina was curious to see her grandparents, they never visited the palace when she was young if she remembered correctly.

Sumia finally realized that the Masked-Swordswoman was there. "Marth?!"

"H-Huh?" Lucina took a step back in surprise.

"When did you come back?"

"Just today, Milady."

"That's amazing news! You'll be at the ceremony tomorrow right?"

Despite being invited by the bride herself, Lucina couldn't help but hesitate a bit. "I'm not so sure.., would it really be alright for me to be there?"

Sumia tilted her head in confusion. "I don't see why not? You're apart of the Shepherds, who were all invited to sit in the front row seats."

Before Lucina could argue back, a voice yelled out to them. "Milady! That's where you have been!" A squadron – around a dozen – of maids started making their way over to Sumia.

"Oh pegasus dung, can't they just leave me alone!?" Sumia turned and made a run for it, the maids pursued her as fast as they could.

For someone who stumbles and trips over nothing, Sumia was an amazing runner when it came to speed, it was no wonder why the maids had trouble catching her.

"... I don't know how I feel about this," Lucina's face was slightly red in embarrassment.

Robin laughed at the scene. "Sumia has her own charm; we should go get you something to wear though."

"Pardon?"

"You're attending the wedding, so we need to get you something decent to wear."

The princess shook her head. "I never agreed to such thing,"

"Sumia just said you should go – or are you seriously going to ignore your mother's wishes?"

With a small pout, Lucina crossed her arms. "You never play fair, you know that, right?"

A sly smile appeared on the tactician's face, he was fully aware of his abilities to get his way.

* * *

 _Ylisstol's Shopping District_

Despite Lucina's complaint, Robin managed to force her into coming with him to the shopping district. The duo soon reached a store dedicated to different styles of clothing, a place Robin had visited a few times beforehand.

"Ah, Sir Robin, welcome back." The owner welcomed them with her bright smile.

"Sorry for the disturbance, but do you have any formal attires left?"

"There should be a couple left in the usual section, feel free to browse through them."

Robin nodded and led the way, Lucina quickly followed him, doing her best to avoid the lingering eyes of the shop owner.

"Why am I even listening to you? I should just run away from Ylisstol at this point-" Lucina would have kept complaining, but something caught her eye.

Robin looked through the clothing as he responded. "Because I know you want to attend," He picked out a suit that was around the princess' size. "You're still going to disguise your gender right?"

He was responded with silence.

"Lu..?" Robin looked back – an eyebrow raised – and realized she was absent.

"Robin, come look at this!"

"But the attires are over here?" He muttered out as he walked over to her location.

"I found this one hidden in the corner of a shelf," Lucina showed him an interesting dress.

Almost instantly, Robin's eyes bulged out. "By the Gods, what is that!?" The piece of clothing had more colors than the tactician could count, in fact, it was so bright that he almost had to shelter his eyes with a hand.

Innocently – while honestly confused – Lucina tilted her head slightly. "A dress..? But can you believe them? Surely hiding something this beautiful is a crime-"

 _'I must find an opportunity to prevent this calamity!'_ His eyes locked onto Lucina's hand as she kept speaking. _'... Checkmate!'_

Robin swiftly snatched the dress and hid it inside a nearby barrel. His motions were so fast, that Lucina didn't even realize what happened until Robin walked over to his original location.

"Hey, Lucina, you should try this one on," He showed a black suit casually with a straight face. "I think it's around your size."

The princess stared at him, then at her hand – the dress was missing – then back at Robin. "... Did I drop it?"

"Drop what?" Robin acted as if nothing happened.

"T-The.., dress?" She looked at her feet - searching for it - but failed to understand just what in the world happened to it.

Letting out a nervous – exaggerated – laugh, Robin simply gestured to the changing rooms. "You're just tired, I bet the journey back to Ylisstol is to blame."

"... Yes, but-" She let out a sigh and decided to just give up for now.

"Now try this on and let me know if it fits you properly."

Lucina grabbed the clothing. "I could have sworn it was in my hands-" Her voice grew distant as she walked towards the changing room.

Once Lucina was out of sight, Robin let out a sigh of relief. "That was close, last time I laughed at her poor choice of fashion wear, it really made her sad..."

* * *

Location: Ylisstol's palace, Robin's room.

"How does it look?" Lucina spread her arms and allowed the tactician to evaluate.

At first glance, it was very simple, since it was merely a black suit and pants with a white shirt – with a blue tie in order to add some color.  
However, due to Lucina's slim figure and the clothing also being picked out for her size, there were a few areas that were sticking out like a sore thumb, specifically her hips and chest region.

"This might be a bad idea after all..," Robin muttered.

"Ah, is that so?" She looked rather disappointed.

However, the tactician wasn't ready to give up just yet. "You'll have to wear an overcoat, luckily for you, I have a spare one." He then gestured at her other.., issues. "And then there is-"

"There is no need to mention such a thing, I am fully aware of them, _Robin_." She uttered his name with a dangerous tone.

"I'm just saying," Robin holds up both hands.

Lucina walked over to a nearby desk, there was a paper bag on it, which caught her curiosity ever since Robin purchased the item inside. "Mind if you tell me what you bought at the store?"

"Just a small piece that is required for the after-party," Robin smiled kindly as he gestured to look inside.

Now that she had permission, the princess reached inside and took out the small accessory.

"A mask..?"

Said mask was designed in a way to represent blue flames that spiraled outwards from a white center, and unlike Lucina's, this one didn't hide the user's eyes.

"Yup, I asked Chrom if we can make the wedding a bit more unique, so we came up with the idea of using masks after the ceremony. We so happened to go shopping the day I needed to get one."

Robin's words brought a smile to her face. "A good friend of mine would have loved the idea,"

"Friend?"

"Oh, I haven't told you anything about this one ally I used to fight alongside with back in the future," Lucina gingerly placed down Robin's mask on the desk. "He was fairly interested in using masks, and he was the one to give me mine."

"Ah, that was smart of them, especially since your brand stands out quite a bit."

The princess nodded, however, a frown appeared on her face. "Despite knowing they all went through the portal as I protected them, I can't help but worry greatly these days."

One of the things Robin learned from the princess after the Plegian war, was that she didn't come to this world alone, for the children of the Shepherds fought alongside the Exalt – Lucina – during the time Grima was resurrected, and all of them survived during their escape to the past.

Seeing Lucina like this, brought a frown to Robin's face each time; with each passing day, she would display such negative thoughts more and more. In a way, the princess reminded him of Emmeryn; both value life greatly, and both have a strong motherly – protective – aura towards those they're close with.

"We'll find them, I know we will." Robin quickly reassured her.

"... Thank you, for reassuring me."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

Lucina allowed herself to smile softly with downcast eyes. She stood next to the desk in silence, words didn't need to be exchanged between the two, just being in each others presence was enough to mend the ill thoughts away for now.

The tactician took this as his opportunity to organize some of the things he would need for tomorrow. "The usual guest room should be available, I'll bring your dinner in a bit, so you don't feel uncomfortable with the others by showing up randomly."

"Thank you, and sorry for the bother," Lucina grabbed her belongings and went to the doorway. "I'll see you then."

"Not a problem, see ya later."

A strong sense of concern grew inside Robin's stomach as he watched Lucina leave, something was infiltrating her mind greatly, and the tactician felt pathetic for not being able to figure it out during their conversation.

 _'… Gods, for someone who keeps saying I'm there for her, I myself have been avoiding such advice._ _Maybe I should bring up a topic I've been hiding from her myself.'_ Robin had no business forcing answers out of her if he, himself, has been closing himself off.

With a sigh, he got ready to head over to the barracks in order to get their meal.

* * *

 _Location: Ylisstol's Palace, East-Wing Halls._

"Where did she run off to?" Robin went up a set of stairs, hoping to find Lucina, who mysteriously disappeared from her room.

He walked down a dark corridor, a few of the balconies were open as he was now in one of the many watchtowers. His eyes caught a glimpse of someone as he went by one of these viewing points.

Standing there alone, observing the Kingdom from above as snow gently fell down from the night sky, was the person Robin was looking for.

"Lucina," He uttered out loud enough for the princess to recognize it was him.

She looked over her shoulder and gave him a short nod before returning to her original position. "Sorry, if I worried you."

Taking this as his cue to approach, Robin walked up and stood next to her. "Mind if I ask why you're up here alone?"

"... I'm just feeling conflicted."

The tactician glanced up at the sky, it was painted in black clouds, which served as a perfect canvas for the snow to highlight itself as it fell down. "About staying with the Shepherds?"

"That is one of the reasons,"

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yes,"

They both stayed quiet despite Lucina's confirmation, it seemed as if Robin still wasn't fully trusted. However, maybe there was a way to slightly push her into speaking, at least, this was what the tactician was hoping for as he spoke up.

"Can I tell you something, Lucina?"

Caught completely off-guard – due to expecting herself to be the one having to speak – she turned at him with a slight tilt of her head. "Um, sure."

"I want to be as open as possible to you," He summed up the courage to touch a topic he dreadfully feared. "And as such, I think you deserve to know what has been haunting me these past few months."

"... Months?" Lucina felt bad for not realizing that something was troubling him.

"During the time we got closer to each other as friends," A lump appeared in the man's throat as he recalled the vision that showed Lucina's death. "I gained a few memories about you... About the Lucina I once knew, to be exact."

"The future me..?" She muttered under her frosty breath.

"Yes, we weren't close at all," Robin kept his eyes glued to the sky. "We argued a lot, and weren't ever on good terms."

Such words made Lucina's heart sink, she didn't know what to say, which allowed Robin to continue speaking his mind.

"I guess it was because she constantly pressured me into preventing something I didn't know how to handle," As Robin kept speaking, more and more guilt was starting to bottle up inside of him. "And one of those days, I ended up letting my emotions get out of control.., a few choice words later, and the two of us never spoke to each other again."

 _'Until you perished in my arms...'_ He wanted to tell her so badly, let her know that the Lucina he once knew, sacrificed her own life to save him; that he was extremely grateful, yet felt guilty.

However, something inside of him didn't want to admit it, he didn't want to accept that outcome; calling it a fake; as if it never happened.

Yet, deep down, Robin knew that Lucina preserved his life because he was needed in the Shepherds the most, despite their intense arguments, the princess knew what had to be done to accomplish her duty.

The Lucina that saved his life was as strong and as determined as Emmeryn was.

Robin continued, ignoring his racing heart. "I didn't understand her at all, and it seems as if I didn't want to take the time in order to do so... Until it was too late and we got separated."

He didn't dare look over to the princess once he finished speaking, he was far too afraid.

Then, out of nowhere, a warm sensation coated his right hand; Robin glanced down, eyes slightly widening as he saw Lucina's hand on top of his.

Robin turned, his eyes mesmerized by a sea of blue. Lucina had taken off her mask, and she was now staring into his amber eyes with her own, a small smile reassuring him that everything would be okay.

"Lu..?" Was the only thing he could utter out.

"Listen to me carefully, Robin. I am terrible with words that speak from the heart, so bear with me..." She let go of his hand – leaving him with a sense of longing – as she looked back at the sky. "The reason I am conflicted was partly due to me not wanting to interfere with the Shepherds, while I search for my friends, however, there is one other strong reason that has prevented me from doing so."

The princess paused, enough for her to take a deep breath in order to continue.

"I don't want to leave my only friend that I know is still here by my side.., I care for you Robin, despite me never expressing such emotions openly,"

At that moment, Lucina's smile was truer than the ones before as she looked at him, and Robin could have sworn that her branded-eye was sparkling.

Lucina continued. "I'm glad we got to know each other – so no matter what obstacle is in our way – know that I'll be there, by your side, no matter the timeline or world we're in."

Those words made the tactician's heart beat faster. "... I'm glad to hear that," Robin muttered out, luckily the darkness hid the small tears swellings up in his eyes.

"That's why I refuse to believe we were in such bad terms..," Lucina suddenly sounded serious. "I couldn't imagine such a thing, and nor do I want to – so please refrain from ever telling me otherwise."

"... Sorry," Robin looked down in shame.

And he would have stayed like that if it wasn't for a giggle that made him redirect his eyes towards her again. "I was merely joking about the not telling me, I'll always lend an ear to you, Robin." Her joyful face turned into one of concern after a short pause. "That's how you do it, right?"

Now it was Robin's turn to chuckle. "Yes, Lucina, you finally got a joke right."

They shared a laugh.

"On a more serious note," Lucina continued. "I would like to thank you for everything, for I'm afraid if it wasn't for you, I would have felt lost in this world that fails to give me a sense of belonging."

"I can say the same to you," Robin countered. "Coming back here with very few memories and all that, well, it made me glad I met you that faithful night... Having someone I can share my doubts with, let alone someone who believes I am not from this world.., all of that is incredibly reassuring."

"... This is exactly why I fail to understand the future me and her actions," She returned to pondering to herself, a habit she gained from Robin due to working by his side before her trip to Feroxi.

"Isn't the answer to that fairly simple?"

Lucina looked at him, her eyes carried out a sense of curiosity. "Mind elaborating?"

"The Lucina I knew went through different events; so that technically makes her an entirely different person. Experiences are what makes you who you are, and in your case, we've been working together towards a common goal for a while now. Which in turn made us close friends."

After Robin's explanation, Lucina nodded in understanding. "I see..,"

"Now that I think about it, isn't our situation a bit weird?"

"How so?"

"Well, you know the future me, and I know the future you for example..." Robin pointed out.

"... Maybe we shouldn't think about that."

"Who knew time traveling was so complicated," The tactician quickly agreed with a sigh.

They both let out a laugh together, and once more, silence washed over the pair, but this time it was peaceful, warm even.

 _'I don't want to leave my only friend that I know is here by my side.., I care for you Robin, despite me never expressing such emotions openly. '_ Lucina's words rang in the tactician's head over and over.

 _'Careful, Lucina... Such words will make me fall for you.'_ He joked lightly as he looked over at the princess – who was far too busy taking in the view.

The bright smile and glistering eyes Lucina had while saying those words will always stick to him, for it was the first time he saw such a thing from her.  
Despite all the troubles that would be laid before him as he conquers them one by one, as long as he gets to see such a happy expression on the princess again, Robin believed it would be well worth it.

* * *

 **AN: Hi everyone, this is the first chapter of the intermission act, I hope it serves as a great starting point that showcases how much these two have grown together.  
** **A few months have gone by since Gangrel's defeat, but I wanted to show just how much trust Lucina and Robin built during that small time-skip, hopefully, I did a good job in showing that.**

No real sidenotes for this chapter and the next one will probably be ready next week.

Also, let me know if you want me to write the wedding, or simply move on with the story that I have planned out. Skills will be further and properly explained, either the next chapter or the one after the wedding if enough people want to see such a thing.

 **Thank you, the Reader, for taking a bit of your time to read this silly story of mine; words cannot express my gratitude.**

 **Until we meet again, in the next chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17: Goodbye Starting Line

**Chapter 17: Goodbye Starting Line!**

 _Location: Unnamed Road._

Two convoys traveled down a lonesome road, the adventurers were heading down south in order to reach a distant island that shall bless them with new experiences.  
Inside said wagons were five individuals, with each having unique traits and personalities that one wouldn't imagine being compatible with one another.

The lead cart was being driven by Sully – the crimson knight – who was being accompanied by Gaius and Tharja, all of which were carefully chosen by Robin; said tactician was in the second convoy with Lucina.

Robin had his eyes concentrating on the road ahead of them, his strong grip on the reins showed how nervous he was.

"Relax, Robin," Lucina – who was next to him – reassured.

"Sorry, I just never done this before; even if I did, I wouldn't be able to remember it."

Unfortunately – for Robin – it was his turn to handle the reins, for Lucina was suppose to take a short nap after her shift was over. Such a plan was ruined due to the princess being extremely worried about both their safety, all because the tactician lost control of the horses and almost made them run off the road not too long ago.

With a sigh, Lucina leaned to the side – on her left hand – almost bumping into the tactician. "I should have taught you a bit before we left..,"

"Wasn't your fault," Robin replied tensely. "I didn't tell any of you until there was only a week left."

A cold breeze blew by, they were still in the middle of winter; around two weeks after Chrom's wedding.

"At least you failed to surprise me, such a thing sadly can't be said for my father."

For just a second, Robin relaxed with a chuckle. "You should have seen his face, Lu. That old dastard was about to cry when he saw us off."

"Please, Robin..." Lucina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Chrom has a name."

"Hey, you know very well he was abusing my position as Adviser, those stacks of paperwork were mostly his! And now that I am gone, he realized that a huge wave of endless pain and suffering was coming his way."

"Don't be so ill-dramatic,"

Robin huffed. "I'm just saying..."

His face earned him a giggle from the princess. "Aunt Lissa and Mother were also on the verge of tears, but mostly because they were going to miss you."

The tactician's frown turned into a soft nostalgic smile. "... Even if I complain about the workload, I honestly didn't mind it all too much, since it was helping them in the end; contributing to those I consider family."

Lucina simply smiled, fully aware of Robin's true feelings since the war ended. Besides, it was his idea in the first place to take the bulk of the work for Chrom, who was already preoccupied with managing the halidom as their King.

"Who knew being so nice would come back to bite you..." She uttered under her frosty breath before she adjusted her blue scarf above her mouth.

"Hmm? Did you say something, Lucina?"

"Nothing," She muffled out with a short shake of a head.

Robin took the liberty to glance her way with a raised eyebrow, but he decided not to press any harder on the matter. "I'm going to miss the Shepherds though," He concentrated on the road once more. "Even if we're going to see them in a few weeks from now after we're done going over to Plegia..."

"That's why lady Tharja is coming with us, right?"

"Correct, she has family over there and I'm sure they would love to have her back during this peacetime."

Lucina nodded in understanding. "Such a nice sight it is... Seeing the lands mend over time and the people helping each other, we finally agreed to be peaceful."

"Heh, yeah, if only we could agree on other things so easily," Robin unconsciously looked down at his right wrist, the blue ribbon was still being worn by the tactician, and it will probably remain there as a part of him for many days to come.

"Um, Robin, the others halted."

This made the Plegian slightly panic and pull the reins a bit too harsh, causing the horses to whicker as they shook their heads uncomfortably alongside their sudden stop.

"Gods, what happened?" Robin grumbled as he watched Gaius jump off the lead convoy.

Said orange-haired man walked over to them. "Seems we reached a crossroad up ahead, Bubbles."

"Isn't Sully going to take us straight to the coastline?"

"Yeah, but the other path takes us to a village, in case ya wanted to stop and all that."

Robin balanced the worth of both options carefully. "We've been on the road for an entire day.., I guess we can stock up on more supplies and stretch our legs."

"You got it, Bubbles." Gaius returned to the lead convoy, and it wasn't long till the group continued to move.

 _ **...**_

"Greetings Ylissean Knights," The elder greeted the Shepherds once they entered the plaza. "What can we do for you in this peaceful village of ours."

Sully was the first to speak, her armor was more than enough evidence to prove that she was a knight. "Nothing old timer, we're here to just shop and relax,"

"In that case, please, enjoy the fish we have proudly caught in the southern seas." He gestured to a few shopping stands, each having a different type of seafood and other products that winter's harvest had to offer.

"Sully," Robin continued. "Go ahead and re-supply on what we need, take Gaius with you, the rest of us are going to guard the convoys."

"Aye sir," Sully voiced out casually. "C'mon Chuckles, we ain't got much time."

Gaius followed the red-haired knight without question. Thus leaving Robin, Lucina, and Tharja; which gave the tactician the perfect opportunity to speak with the dark mage.

"Tharja, mind if we head into your convoy for a bit?" Robin glanced at Lucina, who returned a short nod before leaving, giving the two some privacy.

Once the two were inside, Tharja gave him a quizzical look. "Is it about the spear again?"

"Yes, I would like to know how things are going."

With a small sigh, Tharja walked over to a small section of the convoy, specifically where all her belongings were located. On top of a wooden crate was Robin's Hexlock-Spear, a weapon that the dark mage was modifying for a while now.

"As you can see, the symbols are vastly different now," Tharja continued while tracing a finger on the sigils. "They no longer absorb magic, but rather, _attract_ magic."

Tharja demonstrates her work, each symbol the dark mage touched started to glow with their respective color; specifically green, yellow, and red.

"So it works like a tome, just like I asked?"

"That's what you wanted, so that is what I did."

Robin smiled. "Thanks, Tharja, this will help me a ton-" He reached for the weapon while speaking, but was cut off by Tharja slapping his hand away.

"However," The Plegian mage suddenly interrupted. "This weapon is far from perfect, I am still a dark mage who is training to perfect the art of enchanting and hexing. Fueling this weapon requires tomes – the pages to be exact. My dark magic that fuses the two properties together will also be needed.., unless you want it to explode, heh."

"... Is there no way to remedy this?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.

Tharja handed over the weapon - now that the tactician knew - it was finished for now at the very least. "With my current level of knowledge, turning this weapon into a makeshift wand that can use all Anima-Magic is impossible without a demanding consequence, and that isn't even including the tomes."

Despite fearing the worse, Robin had to ask the dreadful question. "How many tomes will I need per casting?"

"Let us say you use a fire spell; two entire tomes of that type will be needed every five usages, alongside a day's worth of my dark magic being shoved into the sigils."

This made the tactician stare at the weapon with uncertain eyes. _'Was it truly worth transforming this weapon so much? I mean, what Gangrel did with that Levin-Sword was amazing.., and I won't have to worry about exhausting myself due to casting without a tome if I pull this off.'_

"Bring me the tomes and I'll recharge it for you.., but not without a price." Tharja gave him a sly smile.

"Ah, right, seems like you didn't forget that part of our deal..," Robin brought a hand to his hair, he then plucked a strand and handed it over to the mage.

This made Tharja giggle – mildly disturbingly – but she was pleased with their trade. "Now I can test a few more things, hehe..."

Upon hearing her mutter that, Robin simply excused himself. "Thank you for the help, Tharja. I'll be mindful of how many times I use this weapon."

Not really paying attention to his departure, Tharja simply waved a hand lazily as she looked down at a black-covered book.

Before the tactician reached the convoy he was using, an idea came to mind. "... Surely it wouldn't hurt to test it once." He uttered softly while looking at the newly crafted spear, it was right then and there that he decided to head to the nearby forest.

* * *

Tracking through the woods, Lucina searched for the missing tactician. They were about to leave, and Robin was nowhere in sight, so naturally, it came down to Lucina to try and locate him.

Luckily a villager saw him leave and head towards the forest, it was a good thing the man had white hair, or else no one in the village would have been able to give the princess directions.

Such a task was reaching its conclusion once she reached a snowy plain. "There he is," Her words were drowned out by a strong breeze.

Robin was standing at the center of an open field – back facing toward her – his form was firm as he stood tall with a spear in hand; curiosity filled Lucina even further, prompting her to approach slowly, limiting the sound of snow crunching underneath her weight.

However, something caught the bluenette's eyes, for some reason, there was a slight distortion of light around the white-haired individual - as if an invisible barrier protected him.  
Suddenly without any warning, Robin dashed forward – completely unaware of Lucina's presence – and attacked the air with his spear, he spun in place as his weapon started glowing with a red hue.

The color red was all Lucina could think of for a single moment, Robin had summoned a crescent blade of fire that slammed into a nearby tree – scorching it with embers – before he rotated the weapon above his head to summon a strong gust of wind.  
Robin stomped forward, using his upper body to thrust the spear with great force, essentially allowing the summoned Wind-Spell to fly forward at great speeds, putting out the controlled fire without any trouble.

As if to add more of a dramatic effect, two sigils that decorated the tactician's weapon seemingly peeled off and was consumed by a red and green fire respectively, while a wind carried the wisps away.

A loud sigh escaped Robin's lips, his frame relaxing greatly, giving Lucina the perfect opportunity to let him know she was there. "What an impressive display."

The sudden voice made the tactician jump in surprise before turning. "L-Lucina!? How long have you been there?"

"Not too long, but enough to see two of your spells."

"Oh? And how was it?"

Tempted to speak her mind, Lucina took a second to collect the right words. "Like I said, the concept is impressive, but what drew my attention was something else entirely... Are you sure you were just testing that spear of yours?"

Such a question brought a smile to the tactician's face. "Someone is developing quite the keen eye," He joked slightly before continuing. "I was using Aegis, but at the same time, noticing how I no longer have control of Pavise while doing so."

"Care to elaborate?" Despite the mask, Robin could tell that Lucina raised an eyebrow while slightly tilting her head - like she always does.

"Sure, just let me get something first,"

Robin walked over to a nearby tree, one that had its branches low enough for him to reach out and break it. Once he returned with the piece of wood, he gestured at Lucina's Falchion before taking a stance with the stick in hand.

The princess tilted her head – questioning his sanity – which prompted the tactician to speak his mind. "Go ahead and hit this piece of wood with all your might."

Hesitation filled Lucina slowly as her hand slowly grasped Falchion's hilt. Once the weapon was unsheathed, she locked eyes with an area that wouldn't harm the tactician in any way.

Steeling her nerves with a deep breath, Lucina positioned herself properly, and in a heartbeat, only the sound of two physical objects clashing could be heard for a moment.

Lucina stumbled back, her sword arm was completely numb and forced her to endure the uncomfortable pain, she couldn't even lift her blade properly.

Meanwhile, Robin had easily blocked the blow and was looking down at his branch with a disappointed frown. "Still isn't strong enough to handle a regular blow," He uttered softly.

"W-What happened?" The princess rotated her shoulder in order to ease the pain enough for her to ignore it.

Robin presented the piece of wood, which had a slight cut dealt into the side – a feat which should have been impossible, given how Falchion was supposed to cleave right through without any issues.

"What you saw surrounding me earlier was Aegis, but what you just attacked was a stick protected by Pavise. The reason I asked you to hit me was to show that both of my skills have increased in power.., but not without a consequence."

"Consequence? I never heard of skills having such a thing."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Neither have I, but my statement still stands," He continued after turning around, exposing his back to Lucina. "I used to be able to use them as an alarm system of some sorts, warning me of any incoming danger, both close and far... Such a thing is now impossible, and I can only do one or the other."

Upon hearing such a thing, Lucina was left speechless, not really knowing what to say to such a thing.

A sigh escaped Robin's lips, fully aware that even the princess couldn't help him solve the mystery for now. "... What makes things worse, is that such a thing has been an issue since we left the Plegian courtyard."

"Really?" Lucina suddenly got an idea. "Could it be because of the weird flames that coated you?"

For a split second, Robin raised an eyebrow due to not remembering what the princess was talking about, but it wasn't long till his expression completely shifted to that of realization.

"You're right!" He exclaimed. "However, I still have no idea how to repeat such an event."

Last time he attempted to manifest the odd skill, he felt as if something inside of him wouldn't move or obey his orders; as if an extra organ inside of his chest was dormant. In fact, the odd sensation was exactly where his heart should be.., which honestly terrified the tactician.

"Might I suggest you attempt once more? Surely it wouldn't hurt to try." Lucina's voice caused the tactician to exit his trance.

Robin nodded and decided to give it one more go. "Here goes nothing..!" He raised a palm, concentrating immensely on his breathing and posture.

Electricity started sparking to life around his hand, soon enough it wired back up his arm and started dancing around his entire body, causing some of his hair to flow upwards.

Lucina – once again – felt the same tension in the air that happened back at Plegian grounds, the insane amount of mana the tactician could gather at a single point was unbelievable.

"If only we had someone as capable as him back in the future..," She muttered to herself.

In an odd way, just seeing the white-haired tactician fight increased her morale, just like Chrom did. Then again, to Lucina, these two – who are still alive right now – were legends in the eyes of the survivors.

Suddenly, a light with a pinkish hue caught her attention. Eyes were instantly drawn toward Robin, who had managed to coat himself in a small fire, not nearly as strong as the one used at the Plegian courtyard.

"Thor-!?" A sharp pain in his chest interrupted Robin, the charged up electricity dispersed to all sides in the form of a shock-wave, Lucina was quick to tumble away to safety.

As the tactician fell to his knees, the flames vanished; alongside the tension in the air.

Lucina didn't speak out her concern, she simply jogged over to the tactician and knelt down; Robin was gasping for air, but he was already starting to calm down.

"I think..," He uttered weakly. "I might know why my skills are out of order..."

"Take your time, don't force yourself," The princess replied gently.

"W-When it comes to magic," He paused and took in a deep breath. "Our lifeforce – or mana – is consumed in order to summon the right spirits for whatever type of spell we're casting, and without the help of tomes, a spellcaster is limited to what kind; for each of us have a different variant of mana that spirits either adore or hate... An example would be how I can't cast Fire spells without the help of a tome, or something that can mask the flavor – for lack of better words – of my lifeforce."

Lucina didn't know why he was explaining such a thing right now, but she waited patiently until the tactician reached a conclusion.

"However, _skills_ are different," He sat up straight, legs neatly crossed. "Imagine a cup of water, the liquid inside is our mana preserves, and it has the unique quality of boosting our body's limitations to a great extent. Healing magic does this, it rapidly heals wounds by transferring someone's lifeforce to another in a concentrated area."

"That's rather interesting..."

Robin nodded in agreement. "However, the mana inside the cup is divided into different sections, because skills require their own space in order to stay activated... I have a feeling that this weird fire coating ability is consuming the territory of my other skills, and is forcing Pavise and Aegis to only work one at a time."

"Considering the evidence in front of us," Lucina continued. "We can confirm that you have developed a new skill."

"Correct,"

"And just now, you were able to manifest such a thing."

Once more, the tactician included his head and confirmed that he was aware of it. "Somewhat akin to it, in other words, only a very small portion of it before I exhausted myself."

Lucina reflected back on the first time he used it successfully. "Maybe you just need to train a bit more."

"Yeah, most likely, but now that I know that it is indeed there – I'll make sure to master it." Suddenly a question came to mind. "By the way, why are you out here, Lucina?"

Almost instantly, Lucina's eyes widen – not that Robin could tell – and stood up. "We were searching for you! Gods, forgetting how I was supposed to bring you back is a tad embarrassing – may we depart?"

Robin chuckled before standing up, dusting himself off and following the princess back to the village where the others awaited their arrival.

* * *

Wooden wheels bouncing off the graveled road indicated their arrival to a small town, and the smell of seawater was drawing near as the Shepherds approached the shoreline that was inhabited by many people; mostly fishermen and merchants that lived off the blessings of the sea.

Lucina was – fortunately – managing the convoy, following the leading wagon closely. "Robin, wake up," She called back to the sleeping tactician.

Hearing his name was enough to cause Robin to stir, slowly awakening with a small yawn. "Are we seriously already there..? What time is it?"

"Yes, we're here," She answered the first question swiftly while looking at the setting sun. "And to answer your other question, it will be dusk in a few minutes."

Robin made his way to the passenger seat up front. "Guess we're kinda on time,"

They had hired a small team of sailors – who were apparently friends of Gregor – before heading out to the coastline, and they would be the ones to take them over to the desired location. All that was left would be heading over to the docks and locating them.

There was a constant breeze, carrying the scent of salt, which made Robin a tad bit uncomfortable. However, it wasn't just because of the cold, but rather something in his mind kept relating the ocean with oil.

Lucina glanced over at him and noticed that he looked a bit stressed out. "Robin, are you feeling well?"

"Hmm?" Robin looked at her, pausing for a bit before smiling. "Yeah, just thinking to myself."

"..." She concentrated on the road once more.

Silence washed over the pair as they traveled down the fairly lonely roads of the town, and it wasn't long till they reached the shoreline that was littered with many wooden docks; each having stationed vessels, big and small.

A growl was heard – coming from Robin's stomach – followed by the tactician feeling nauseous, a mere glance at the sea made the Plegian want to hurl his last meal onto the floor.

"Robin?" Lucina was quick to notice the increasing discomfort that Robin was going through.

However, before anything else could happen, Robin jumped off the convoy and rushed over to the railing.

The princess halted the wagon's motion, her ears picking up the noise of unpleasant sounds. "... Motion sickness?" Lucina didn't think too much about it, so instead she went to the back for a waterskin.

As for Robin, a strong breeze made him shiver as he felt cold sweat going down his spine and forehead. His eyes glanced at the horizon, it was dark on the left, but sunlight still crept from the setting sun on the right.

Such a sight was beautiful, the tactician could agree with that, however, the lingering smell of burnt oil and fear towards the water ruined such emotions.

"... C-Come to think of it," He turned and allowed his back to lean on the railing. _'_ _I didn't go near the cliff back at Plegia when we were trying to escape.'_

Robin was somewhat grateful for such an outcome, even if it would have prevented him from making this trip and avoid all the pain altogether. Spending time with his three friends that have joined him was an experience he was looking forward to.

Footsteps alerted him of the approaching bluenette, who handed over a water skin. "How are you feeling?"

"Could be better," Robin took the time to wash away the sour taste in his mouth before hydrating himself. "I have come to the conclusion that I am not the sea type of person."

"... If you have the energy to make light of the situation, then surely you can get on the boat that is waiting for us."

Despite the jab that she sent his way, Lucina watched him drink the water with a concerned expression. Robin's skin, that was paler than usual, wasn't helping in the slightest either.

Mustering a brave fake smile, Robin spoke up. "Sorry, sorry," He chuckled softly. "Move the convoy, I'll be there in a bit."

Fully aware of his poker face, Lucina decided it was best to just go along with his orders and do what she was told. "Our vessel is the one at the end of this dock, we shall be waiting there."

The tactician nodded and watched her leave silently, taking a small sip of water before taking a few deep breaths. "Seems like that odd odor is gone..," He realized while glancing at the sea. "I can't help but repeat the same question, over and over... Who was I?"

* * *

 _Location: Plegia, unknown area of the vast western desert._

All light was removed from the moonlit sky, all of it being absorbed into a single point before a blue ripple of light opened with a thunderous roar. The loose sand underneath its might was tossed outwards, only the giants of the desert – dunes – held down their ground against the mysterious portal.

A lone figure slowly broke through the portal, breaking her fall by rolling down a dune, halting herself at the bottom.

"Gawds-" She spits out sand while staying on all fours. "Of course we land in a desert!"

The annoyed girl stood up, dusting off her light brown jacket that was an essential part of her swordmaster attire, then she shifted her attention to her crimson-colored twintails, both of them being held by white-winged pins. "Where is everyone-"

However, before she could finish speaking, a growl could be heard from above – specifically the portal. The swordswoman's hands instinctively went to her Killer-Edge.

"What the!? I thought Lucy was.., ugh, everything will be fine Severa – don't worry – she says," Severa positioned herself as five undead soldiers fell from the sky – right before the portal closed. "You better be alive, Lucina... Or else I'll go to the depths of hell to drag you back."

Two of the Risen were axe-wielders, another was an archer, while the rest were Revenants – the latter being hunched over corpses that were pretty much made out of slime or rotting flesh.

They all landed at the top of the nearby dune, completely unaffected by the fall. An axe user instantly ran up to Severa without hesitation, while the archer took aim.

Despite being outnumbered, Severa didn't back down, she unsheathed her blade as she dashed forward and vanished. Her incredible speed left a trail of lifted up sand, indicating that she zigzagged past the charging Risen and headed straight for the bow user.

A swift slash of her blade – upon reappearing in front of her target – was enough to take down the undead, her body turning just in time to block an incoming attack.

Upon registering that it was the other axe user, Severa pushed its weapon upwards, causing the Risen to stumble due to the weight of the weapon.

"How well will you die!?" Severa spun, hitting the Risen in the chest with the pommel of her weapon before slashing diagonally.

More enemies approached her, the final trio – one of which was climbing up the dune – Severa took the advantage of having the high ground, leaping from above and slashing down on her opponent. Said Risen blocked the blow and forced a small deadlock, something that the girl swiftly slipped out of and low-kicked it off its feet.

Before Severa could deliver the final blow, a puddle of brown liquid covered the fallen Risen, a pair of hands emerged out it and blocked the incoming sword attack.

"S-Stupid Revenants!" Severa grumbled as she struggled to reclaim her weapon from the undead's iron grasp.

Suddenly she remembered that there was still another Risen lurking somewhere. Alarms were set off in her head as she abandoned her weapon and ducked, barely dodging a claw attack from the other Revenant.

Severa activated Galeforce and retreated back to safety. Her eyes widen as both the Revenants merged into the remaining Risen, the end results were a larger Undead – an Entombed – around twice the height of Severa, that wielded both an Axe and her blade.

"Unhand my weapon..," She uttered dangerously low – almost a growl – just seeing the Risen hold her blade brought great rage.

In a heartbeat, Galeforce was reactivated, allowing Severa to dash over to an Iron-Axe that was dropped by one of the Risen. The red-haired wasted no time in charging into the Entombed, an enemy who was stretching its right arm outwards – which wielded her sword – in order to attack her.

Severa spun to the side and countered by slamming down the axe down on its arm, the blow was strong enough to cut it clean off, earning the girl her weapon back.  
The Entombed roared in anger, using its remaining limb to slam down the axe on the swordmaster, however, five afterimages of green blades tore the Risen's arm apart before it even got near the girl.

Severa stood perfectly still, hand on the sheathed weapon; as if her arm never moved to strike in the first place.

This taunted the Undead, it regenerated an arm while roaring, going for a swipe attack in a fit of rage.

"You're boring me..!" Severa narrowed her eyes, five more flashes of the blade was all that was seen.

The Entombed fell and turned into a purple miasma. Silence returned to the desert once more.

* * *

 **AN: Happy holidays everyone! I hope everyone is having a great time, maybe you're even reading this with a hot beverage, ahaha.**

 **Now I know what you're thinking... Where have you been, Author? Well, let us just say that I gave myself a small break - which was supposed to be a week-long mind you - aside from the one week grace period that I was planning to have between chapters. However, 4 days into my "break" I got sick.., and shortly after recovering my sickness, the holidays have started and family took up my free time - not that I mind.**

 **And now, we are here, with another introduction chapter to the new act. Yes, it is short, but that's why this is just the starting chapter. Severa's introduction serves as a great demonstration as to what will come.**

 _ **Sidenotes!**_

 _The Children:_ While they're close to their mothers in-game, in this story I will boost the relationship between them and their Fathers a lot more. This will include unique support conversations that are not in the game, and traits that they normally don't have.., an example being Severa's Swordmaster outfit - I wonder who is the Father? ahaha.

 _Robin's weapon:_ Not much I can say here, only that it is becoming an interesting thing, isn't it?

 _Magic and Skills:_ A light explanation has been given in the story, for now, anything else I can add here would be that I attempted to explain why Mages have certain spells - without using tomes. Our sly tactician explained that we each have different 'flavors' but it can also be said that we just have an easier time attracting/commanding different kinds of elements/spirits, tomes not only help with preserving mana, but they also give it a different 'taste' in order to wield and command the desired magic with ease.

 **Responding to a Guest Review - posted on Dec** **6th**

Thank you for the kind words! Hearing such a thing brings me great pride, for my main focus has been the relationship building between these two adorable individuals. I am sorry that I didn't include a wedding scene, but I do have in mind something else - something that I'm sure many will enjoy, but won't spoil it here. **  
**

 _ **As always, thank you for the support and for taking some time out of your day to read my story! I hope all of you continue having a fantastic festive season.**_

 _ **May we meet again, in the next chapter.**_


	18. Chapter 18: Aptitude

**Chapter 18: Aptitude**

 _Location: Plegia, Western Desert._

The harsh scorching sun tormented the lone figure that wandered the desert aimlessly, her feet dragging themselves on the sand; hair providing as much shade as possible as she walked hunched over.

Severa had managed to continue her journey for two days, but lack of water and food was starting to take its toll. In fact, the girl wouldn't be able to survive much longer.  
Things were starting to look grim, as she simply focused on taking one step after the other, her eyes dull and unfocused – oblivious to her surroundings.

A strong breeze blew by, her pigtails swaying to the side as her body stumbled. Severa managed to regain her balance after a short pause, continuing her march after biting down hard on her own teeth, she looked up and narrowed her eyes; forcing herself to walk faster.

 _'Like hell, I'm gonna die here,'_ Despite her best efforts to act tough, her body just simply couldn't handle the high demand of energy, and it wasn't long till she started returning to her original weaken state.

Silence washed over the desert, which would occasionally be shattered by the rushing wind. The perspective of time was lost to the girl, so much so that she didn't notice when she arrived at a village.

One of the villagers, a young lady with brown hair – who was gathering water at their well – noticed Severa at the corner of her eye.

Said villager watched the girl carefully, and she didn't move until Severa stumbled forward and almost fell.

"Hey!" Noticing a few obvious signs of dehydration, the villager filled her bucket with water and walked over to the red-haired girl.

The swordmaster barely registered her words, her hands instinctively falling onto the handle of her sword.

"Are you alright? I have some water," Upon being reassured quickly by the villager, Severa loosen her guard.

"... H-Help," Severa's voice was raspy and low, almost a wheeze.

In that same instant, Severa's vision shifted down, the ground approaching at an alarming rate as darkness consumed everything.

* * *

 _Location: Southern Seas._

Numerous cheers filled the air, alongside the waves crashing into the boat's side. Two members of the Shepherds were giving off quite the show for the crew members.

Lucina was perched on top of a barrel that was leaned against a wall, observing the ongoing sparring match silently.  
Robin was standing his ground against Sully, both of which wielded wooden swords, the tactician was losing by one point – for the red-haired knight bested Robin when he used a spear against her.

"I'm surprised, Robin!" Sully commented. "Didn't think you could keep up after that shameful display earlier!"

Ignoring her comments, Robin ducked under a horizontal slash; countering with no delay whatsoever, nailing Sully in the stomach with a jab.

"Focus, Sully," Robin smiled as he retreated. "I'm just getting started, so make sure to keep up with _me!_ "

Accepting his challenge, Sully charged in with a grin of her own. "Now we're talkin'!"

Lucina couldn't help but smile gently, just seeing the two fight with such burning passion made her want to train as well.

"Man, they're still going at it?" Gaius returned, holding a water skin to his forehead – he had recently lost to Sully.

"Yes, and it seems as if they shall do so for a while longer."

Both of them observed how fluid Robin's movements were when using a blade, even if he had been practicing with the spear as of late, his skill level when it came to swordplay was extremely high.

However, Sully was doing a fantastic job in keeping her ground against the tactician, all of her attacks were precise and swift – years of training on horseback increased the Knight's accuracy and reactions. Despite such a large advantage, Robin simply wouldn't budge or lose any ground, in fact, he would end up winning if they continued at the current pace.

A dodge to the side and light jab as a counter, Robin kept up this strategy perfectly as he blocked another attack and allowed it to slide off to the side.

"This set is mine..!" Robin pressed forward one last time, nailing his opponent in the guts; Sully stumbled back with a pained expression.

"Gah.., man you got me good there," The knight stood tall and took a deep breath, ridding herself of pain. "Guess it's my loss, huh? Damn."

Such verbal expressions made the tactician chuckle lightly. "Ready for one last-"

"Land Ho!" One of the sailors shouted from the crow's nest.

Everyone paused to register the announcement, and it wasn't long till Robin let himself sigh in relief as he walked over to the railings.

"Finally," He muttered as he saw the landscape coming into view. "I can get off this ship."

 ** _…_**

Once the vessel rested next to the wooden dock, the sailors let down the bridge so that the Shepherds could get off with their belongings.

The captain of the ship approached them for a few final words. "We'll be waiting here in these docks, for when y'all return,"

Robin showed his gratitude by offering a handshake. "Thank you captain, but are you sure you'll be fine waiting here?"

He accepted the gesture. "Of course!" He let go of the tactician's hand and then pointed to the local town. "Our family members happen to live here, so we'll spend some time with them."

"Ah, I see – very well, until we meet again,"

As Robin turned to leave, the captain called out to him one last time – the tactician glanced back over his shoulder. "I forgot to mention, try to travel during the day and away from any dense forest; bandits trend around here during the winter, lack of food and all that."

With a nod, Robin confirmed he'll be careful. "Thanks for the heads up," The tactician went over to his small crew, all of them awaiting orders. "We should stock up on food; since we used plenty of it during the voyage."

"Sun is also going down in like two hours from now," Gaius pointed out before taking out a piece of candy.

"That is also true," Robin glanced at the town, it seemed to be rather busy. "How about we take it easy for today and enjoy ourselves."

Sully was the first one to agree. "Sounds great to me! All this traveling is getting rather repetitive."

With that, the Shepherds moved into their respective convoys, seeking out a place where they could rest up. Upon entering deeper into the heart of the town, it was obvious that the villagers were having a festival of some kind.  
Many decorations – in the form of lights and banners – were scattered around the shops that were selling food and other goodies. Luckily for the Shepherds, the streets weren't terribly busy just yet, but more and more people were starting to show up as time went by.

"Interesting," Robin voiced out, trying his best to take a peek as to what the merchants were selling.

Even Lucina couldn't help but glance at all the items being displayed. "Robin, do you know what kind of festive they're celebrating?"

"You're asking an amnesiac..," The tactician uttered under his breath. "If I had to give a guess, maybe celebrating their winter's harvest? Or they're trying to please the gods for a good harvest."

The masked princess nodded. "What a lovely sight..," Her words were barely above a whisper.

Soon enough, the group reached a rental area, large enough to store their convoys safely and provide the Shepherds their rooms.  
They unpacked their most valuable items, moving them into their respective rooms – while some of them tested the beds as well – before heading out to the lobby where they would meet up.

At the lobby, Robin was giving everyone a few words. "Since we have the day to ourselves, why don't we just split up and relax?"

"I'll be in my room..." Tharja mumbled as she left the scene.

Their tactician looked at the dark mage with a disappointed gaze. "Alright.., we shall leave tomorrow morning, a few hours after dawn, so don't go overboard with drinking." He said this while looking at Sully.

"You expect me to put on extra weight during this journey?" Sully continued with a raised eyebrow. "Like hell that is going to happen! I'm just gonna go and do a few arm wrestles for extra cash."

As to demonstrate how serious the Red-Knight was, Sully showed off her biceps.

"Don't worry Bubbles," Gaius pointed a thumb at his chest. "I'll keep an eye on her."

Robin let out a sigh. "Why does that not make me feel any better..," Everyone in the room let out a small laugh, with the exception of Robin. "Alright, get going you two."

Sully and Gaius left with a smile. "By the way Chuckles, you better not steal any junk while we-" Their voices faded away as they left the building.

"I shall go rest up," Lucina voiced out as she turned to leave.

Such a sight made Robin have the sudden urge to call out to her. "Marth," The instant he did so, he felt embarrassed, but Robin managed to take a deep breath and compose himself. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go look at the festival outside."

After glancing over her shoulder and hearing such an offer, Lucina turned and gave him her full attention. "Sure, why not."

"G-Great!" Robin paused, toning down his excitement. "However, we can't go out there dressed like this, so how about we switch to our disguises?"

Lucina didn't argue, the princess simply turned to head over to her assigned room – where her belongings were placed – Robin soon did the same.

* * *

The tactician waited outside of the small building, he wore a brown coat that he tagged along – because his other coats caught too much-unwanted attention.

"Why was it so hard to ask her to join me on a stroll..?" His frosty breath was starting to get more noticeable as the sun got lower and lower. "... I hope Lucina doesn't take this the wrong way,"

"Take what the wrong way?" Lucina's curious voice made Robin jump in place.

"Gods! Show some mercy when you approach me from behind, Lu..." He stuttered out, turning rapidly to face the giggling princess.

Once his eyes met hers, Robin's slight annoyance instantly vanished. Lucina wasn't wearing her mask, but still had her hair up, she was also wearing a brown coat with a dull colored dress underneath that went down to her ankles.

"You look.., just like a normal villager."

The princess nodded as she pulled up her hood. "That's good to hear, but I still must hide my most prominent feature." Funny enough, Lucina's brand reflects light pretty easily, so keeping her hood up allows it to not have such an obvious shine to it.

"Hmm," Robin stared at her face, trying to see if he could catch the brand under the dim lighting.

"Is it noticeable?" She asked the tactician.

"... Maybe we should have gone with the eye patch," Robin joked lightly before giving up on spotting the mark.

"While effective, I much prefer having my full vision-" She started walking, leading the way like a natural leader. "Having my mask on all the time prevents me from seeing a great portion of my surroundings."

"I'm surprised you managed to fight a war while wearing it," Robin followed her closely so they wouldn't be separated by the large crowd.

"Yes, but that was mostly because I had you by my side," Lucina quickly replied. "Always eager to protect me from danger."

"Heh, guess I was a Knight before I was even promoted to one."

"... The Tactical Knight of Ylisse," She muttered out. "Such a title is vastly different from the Robin I knew."

Not resisting the overwhelming curiosity, Robin decided to ask the princess what exactly did she meant. "Was it the Grandmaster title? Or something else entirely?"

"We used to call you, The Black Lamb - Grandmaster of Ylisstol."

"That is rather ominous, I get the latter portion, but why the black sheep?"

They stopped at a fairly empty resting area, which offered the pair a bench.

Lucina elaborated after sitting down. "Unlike most of the Shepherds, you were usually always busy, isolated from the others, and rarely seen outside of the castle or battlefield. Which is why the public started calling you many names, the black lamb was one of those titles."

"One..? That merely tells me that you probably have a list of them."

Lucina nodded, recalling the many names that represented the tactician at the time. "Guardian of Ylisse; the unshakable and unbeatable; honestly I never cared for those names, I always knew you as Robin, a kindhearted individual that kept the royal family safe."

Upon hearing that, Robin couldn't help but feel a tad bit modest, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous laugh as he glanced around – hoping no one heard their conversation.

"I can't imagine anyone giving me such titles," The tactician decided to sit down as well, he noticed that they had a perfect view of the main plaza, a handful of people were preparing some instruments, and more and more citizens were gathering up around them.

"That makes two of us," Lucina continued before any questions were asked. "People I have fought with were the ones who shared such tales, normally during the long cold nights that required us to watch over the wounded."

At first, Robin felt guilty for making Lucina talk about the dark future, but his own curious mind prevented him from stopping the princess from speaking about such topics.

"Sometimes I wish they could see what I am currently experiencing," The princess' words were soon drowned out by music being played. "I'm sure they would have enjoyed such a sight."

"Lucina..."

"My apologies, I didn't mean to sour the mood – especially since everyone is so happy in front of us."

Once more, the duo returned their gaze to the now dancing villagers. All of them assigned in pairs as they waltzed around the plaza, with the musicians at the center of it all.

"This reminds me of how much I had to dance during Chrom's wedding," Robin recalled with a small frown.

"Yet you could have avoided such a thing if you simply said no..."

"Hey now, it would have been rude to reject such offers. Imagine what people would think of Chrom; if he had such a person as his tactician."

Lucina shook her head. "Not as much as you think – but at least you were able to dance." She was referring to herself, who missed out on such an opportunity.

"Did you avoid such activity simply because you didn't want to get discovered?"

"Not necessarily," Lucina's eyebrows furrowed, trying her best to hide an increasing amount of embarrassment.

Instead of giving up on the matter, Robin started guessing. "Maybe you don't know how to dance?"

"... You would accuse a princess of such a thing?" She glanced his way and gave him a serious stare.

This made the tactician chuckle; since he was merely teasing her. "Of course not; royals have those type of ethics when they're young, don't they?"

"Sadly so, it was something I didn't enjoy as a child back then, especially learning an instrument."

"Whoa, that sounds impressive though – what kind of instrument did you pick up?"

Lucina glanced up, eyes locked onto one of the musicians. "The violin, although I'm not that well versed in using it, for I opted to sneak away from my lessons as a child and play with my wooden sword instead."

Robin, upon imagining such a scene, started laughing; much to Lucina's discomfort. "That is rather adorable," He finally muttered to himself once settled down.

"Yes well, I do regret doing such a thing," She let out a sigh before continuing. "Mother made me play in front of the Shepherds when I was young, she thought it would be a very _cute idea_.., needless to say, I failed completely and made an utter fool out of myself."

"But everyone was smiling, correct?" The sudden question caught Lucina off guard for a bit, preventing her from answering right away as she recalled the old memory.

"Y-Yes, they were..."

"That goes to show that they were happy to see you grow and learn new things – things that weren't related to war or fighting," Robin's smile had completely disappeared, only his distant stare remained, aimed at the many people who were enjoying themselves.

Lucina remained quiet, but she wore a light smile as she glanced down at her lap, the princess couldn't help but reflect on how the tactician would always say the right things at the right moment.  
To be honest, it made Lucina have a few weird emotions that she didn't know existed, being unable to pinpoint what they were scared her slightly as well.

"How about we join them?"

A hand suddenly obscured her vision, causing her to look up to a smiling tactician. "Robin..?" Lucina had a general idea of what his implications were, however, she was still unsure.

As to wash away her doubts, Robin answered by nudging his head towards the dancing villagers.

Lucina's face turned a light shade of pink – luckily for her, the lighting was dim – as she accepted his hand and stood up.

Robin led the way until they settled in a vacant spot. "I assume you were only taught how to follow, so that would be the main reason why you didn't dance."

"Not only that, but I'm not exactly into these type of things..." She muttered, still preferably looking down at the ground – at their feet – as Robin got a proper hold on her.

Unknowingly to her, Robin's own face was turning a bright red, this was the first time he offered a dance from the heart; while the ones he experienced back at the castle were forced. Least he wanted the nobles to keep pestering him all night, _especially_ the dukes that wanted their daughters to dance with him.

The music started shifting to a slower pace one, much to the pair's demise and embarrassment. However, it was far too late to back out now, for Robin felt as if some of the villagers were staring directly at them.

Upon taking a deep breath, Robin took a step forward – Lucina swiftly followed without issues – and so they started dancing. They didn't speak to each other the entire time, but both their hearts were beating rapidly, enough to convey hidden emotions that they both weren't fully aware of just yet.

* * *

 _The Next Day._

 _Location: Western Desert._

Severa woke up in a panic, quickly jumping out of the sofa she was resting on and glancing around the room in a hurry. Once her racing heart settled down, Severa started analyzing where exactly was she.

"... What happened?" Her memories were hazy, but one thing was for certain, she had fainted during her journey through the desert.

The swordmaster glanced at the only window inside the empty room. "How long was I unconscious..?" She muttered out upon seeing that the sun was rising above the horizon.

Her hand instinctively went down to her blade, however, Severa glanced down in surprise. "They took my sword... Of course, they would-"

A door opening was heard, but it came from the other room that was behind a nearby door.

Voices were heard, and a conversation was started. "Has she woken up?" A male asked.

"No, but give her time dear," Severa could only assume it was a couple talking to each other, the ones who took her in. "She was in terrible conditions yesterday."

"I'm just worried, her outfit isn't exactly normal around these parts... What if she gets us in trouble?"

"Well, we can't exactly leave her out there to die. You're worrying too much, Holland."

Holland didn't respond right away, but Severa heard a sigh escape his lips. "You're right, Aruba... I just don't want any unnecessary trouble, especially when we're expecting a child."

Severa raised an eyebrow and looked back at the room she was in, such news explained why it was so empty still.

"If that's how you feel, why are you joining those ill-minded men," Aruba's voice cut off Severa's train of thought.

"Because we need that extra money-"

"You're just trying to rush things, my dear,"

"... Still, there aren't any better ideas, my health conditions don't allow me to be a miner – being a farmer is out of the question – fishing won't bring us the desired amount of income either."

"Holland, I just don't want you to get hurt, promise me you'll consider some other option."

Severa couldn't hear a response, but she could only guess that the man returned a nod or a shrug before leaving the house – evident by the door opening and closing once more.

This was the prime opportunity for the swordmaster to leave the room. "Excuse me..," Severa uttered softly as she opened the door.

"Oh! You're awake," Aruba was sitting on a chair next to a table, she seemed to be resting. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling just fine," Severa crossed her arms – out of habit – and took the liberty to scan the room. _'Been forever since I seen a house in perfect conditions.'_

"Don't worry, you're safe here," The villager reassured her, believing that Severa was merely being cautious. "My name is Aruba, mind if I have yours?"

"Severa," The crimson-haired girl soon remembered a few important manners she needed to follow in this timeline, and so she gave the women a small bow of appreciation. "Thank you for saving me."

Aruba smiled but shook her head. "No need to thank me, I simply did what was right at the time. But tell me, why were you traveling through the desert like that?"

"Pardon?"

"Unprepared for the harsh desert, and wearing clothes that seem more suited for cold environments," The women pointed out a flaw after the other. "Do you have a death wish?"

Severa huffed. "Of course not! I was merely separated from my liege-" Upon remembering Lucina; Severa was instantly filled with a sense of duty. "Miss, I appreciate everything you have done for me, but may you point me towards the direction Ylisse is located?"

"Ylisse..?" Aruba tilted her head. "Severa, was it? You do realize that such a kingdom is on the opposite side of Plegia, correct?"

This made the swordmaster's blood go cold. "O-Opposite side..?" She whispered to herself. _'Gods, it would take me forever to reach them on foot.'_

"Besides," Aruba invaded her trance. "Your body is nowhere near ready to tackle such a journey if you do attempt it, you'll have better chances if you hitchhike with merchants and head to Regna Ferox, then make the journey to Ylisstol."

Severa was actually impressed by how knowledgeable the woman was. "Why not just cut through the desert itself? It would be a much shorter journey."

"Because the most direct route from here is also vastly known to be dangerous, rumors say that Grimleals kidnap travelers and they are never seen again."

This was enough to make Severa abandon the idea, she was fully aware of how powerful Grimleals were. "Hitchhiking seems to be the only option then,"

"Yes, but you'll need a bit of cash for such a thing,"

"How do you know all of this?"

"Because I used to be a merchant myself; until I fell in love with the man I am now married to."

Just hearing the word love bothered Severa just a tiny bit. "In that case, I'm truly stranded here."

"Well for now you are, I'm sure you can find a job around the village – feel free to stay here in the meantime."

"You would be okay with such a thing?" Severa was confused as to why the woman was so friendly.

Aruba smiled gently. "Why not? I don't sense any malice from you... And as long as you pull your own weight around the house, we won't complain one bit - weapons stay outside though."

The swordmaster nodded. "Where exactly did you put my sword?" Such a blade held a large number of sentimental values to Severa.

"In a crate next to the front door, locked safely away - you won't be needing it now will you?" The merchant smirked.

Severa could have sworn she was just put into a small trap, a cleverly crafted plan in order to make her work for the woman that saved her out of _charity -_ or so she claims.

* * *

 _Location: Southern Islands, Rural road._

The Shepherds have moved out of the town and have made great process; while not having any encounters with bandits. Instead of the usual convoy leading the way – which was Sully – it was Robin's turn to be at the front, his instincts and sense of direction were starting to pick up the more they traveled; as if he was gaining memories without even realizing it.

To the left of the road, it was nothing but plains and hills, and to the right was a dense forest that everyone was keeping an eye on.

However, it was starting to get tedious and boring. "Luckily it doesn't snow down here," The tactician attempted making small talk with the princess, who was at the back reading a book about tactics.

"Yes, but it's still rather cold."

Robin scanned the horizon once more, searching for a river that would lead into the forest – setting up camp was currently the main goal. "Which is why I want to find us some natural shelter before we make our base."

Suddenly, the sound of bushes rustling alerted the tactician. "H-Halp!" Not wasting any time, Robin pulled the reins and halted the convoy. "P-Please, kind merchants! I don't got much time ya see, there is trouble over there and I need-"

"Get to the point, lad!" Robin raised his tone above the villager with ease.

"Bandits are attacking my village, you just gotta git help – my ma' and everyone else is in danger-"

"I found him, laddies!" A bandit appeared from the forest.

The tactician couldn't resist the urge to let out a sigh. "Of course..," He then jumps out of the convoy.

One of the bandits let out an ignorant laugh. "What is this? Got us a pack of merchants did ya, little boy? How convenient!"

Robin lifted one of his coat's sleeve, revealing armored gauntlets. "Run and live, or fight and die, your choice."

"... Blasted! What are knights doing out here!?" The bandit back paddled back into his group of rogues, before they all ran back into the forest.

Astonished by what just transpired, the villager was awestruck, giving Robin enough time to take a good look at the young lad. The boy had dark-brown curly hair, he was holding some type of wooden spear and wore a copper pot on his head.

"You are safe now," Robin's voice broke the villager's trance. "My name's Robin. What is yours?"

"Donny! … Er, that is, Donnel – I live in a village nearby, your graciousness." Donnel noticed that the rest of Robin's group was standing outside of their respective convoys, armed to the teeth. "Are all of ya Knights?"

"Something like that. How about you tell us what is going on first?"

As if instantly shifting back to panic mode, Donnel started explaining with rushed words. "The rotten-toothed, pig-stinkin' bandit you just ran off was one of many that attacked us! Er, pardon my language..."

Sully let out a laugh. "Nah, I like how you talk!"

Upon being encouraged, Donnel continued speaking. "They were roundin' up the others to haul 'em off to a bandit camp, I was the only one that got away to git some help... Please, sir! You gots to save them, folks! My ma's one of them.., and after losing my pa' due to them bandits-" He paused and started clutching his spear desperately to his chest. "She is all I got in this world..."

Touched by his words, Robin narrowed his eyes and started calculating many outcomes in his head. "Very well, we shall save your mother Donnel, lead us to them."

"Aw thank you, milord! Thank you! Just follow me this way, Your Sirness!"

 _ **...**_

Robin and the group left their convoys further back in the forest, due to how dense it was, they were all traveling by foot now.

"There they are, just behind that tree line over yonder!" Donnel exclaimed.

"Very well," The tactician turned to Gaius. "Mind scouting out their base for us, Gaius?"

"Sure thing, Bubbles." The sugar-addict wasted no time in dashing off on his nimble feet.

Robin then turned to address Donnel. "Wait here where its safe, we shall handle the situation shortly." The tactician turned and took a step forward, standing in front of the villager with his back turned.

Donnel admired the white-haired knight, being able to stand tall with a weapon in hand – an aura of leadership and confidence radiated from Robin's persona.

"... If only I was as strong as you sirs and madams.., kick that scum out single-handed, I would!" The village boy looked down, ashamed of himself for being so weak.

"Then fight," Robin continued without looking back. "Fight and grow stronger."

"But I ain't-"

Donnel was cut off by the tactician. "If you have the desire to fight, that's all you need in order to grow and become a warrior – no man is born a soldier – so this is your chance to change the future."

Before the villager could reject such words, Gaius returned and began his report about the layout and how many bandits were currently guarding the place. Even the prisoners were marked by the thief, Gaius offered to free them while the Shepherds went for a frontal assault.

"Very well, go ahead and do that after the first minutes of combat, that should be enough time for us to stir a strong discord among them." Robin gave each fighter their orders. "Donnel, if you're going to fight, stay close to me."

"Y-Yes, sir..." He gulped to himself as he followed the tactician nervously.

Alarms were set off – in the form of bells – as the Shepherds approached _The Farfort_. Brigands dispatched themselves into battle, but the Shepherds didn't halt their march towards them, inserting an aura of intimidation and dominance over the Rogues.

One of them charged at Robin, who swiftly dodged the Axe attack and countered by grabbing the man's face – spinning in place and slamming the bandit into the ground. "Everyone, charge!" He commanded without skipping a beat.

Lucina closed the gap between herself and any foes nearby, striking brigands down with the flat of her blade.

Tharja took aim at an enemy archer, summoning a strong gust of wind – effectively protecting the melee users from any arrows.

While Sully was – quite literally – shoving her spear up anyone's arse that dared challenge her.

Their tactician continued to fight any outlaw that got too close, but he instead only used his fist. "Donnel, knock him out!" He shouted as he grabbed a man by the arm, tripping him with his foot and tossing him to the ground towards the farm boy.

"Y-Yes sir!" Donnel took a brave step forward and slammed the shaft of his make-shift spear on the brigand's head.

Needless to say, it knocked the man out but also broke Donnel's weapon.

Robin unsheathed his spear and planted it on the ground next to him. "Take it, fight alongside us!" He then unsheathed his sword and charged into the fray.

Donnel stared at the silver-lance, unsure as to what he could do with it. His uncertain eyes looked at the Shepherds who fought for what was right, people who decided to aid his village without hesitation in their eyes.

A lump appeared in his throat, the boy was close to tearing up, for he believed that he didn't deserve such fortune that the gods sent his way. However, a single memory fueled his muscles into motion, the memory of his father standing up for his family – it may have cost the man his life, but in Donnel's eyes, he was the embodiment of a hero.

Just like the Shepherds before him.

His hands clutched the spear and pulled it out of the ground. "Fight and get stronger he says.., if that is what it takes to be like my pa, then so be it..."

A bandit noticed the young boy standing idly, he decided to take advantage of such an easy prey. "I'm gonna plow yer head off, boy!"

Donnel blocked the attack with the lance's shaft. _'That was close..!'_ He grit his teeth and pushed the Rogue off, Donnel then took a step back and made sure he was pointing the spear correctly. "C'mon Donny!"

The brigand's eyes widen as he saw the lad thrust with extreme accuracy, forcing him to dodge out of the way.

Despite missing, the country boy wasn't done, he slashed to the side as if he was hacking down some wheat on the field, managing to cut the bandit's side.

Outraged and filled with adrenaline, the bandit slashed back at the farmer, Donnel ducked; he could hear the strike scratching the top of his pot.

Donnel remembered how Robin countered in this situation, and so he mimicked the tactician's movements by grabbing the outlaw's face and spinning in place, throwing the man off-balance before being sent crashing down to the ground.

The bandit attempted to get up head first, but was smacked in the face by Donnel's lance – rendering him unconscious.

"Good job, Donnel!" Robin called out from a few feet away. "We're about to head inside the fort, get over here."

"Yes, Your Sirness!" He ran over to the smiling group of Shepherds.

Lucina walked over to a slightly destroyed brick-wall, which had a peeking hole conveniently made. "More bandits up ahead, but I can see the hostages being guarded by them."

"Tharja," Robin called out to the mage, who was eager to listen to his orders. "Let us make them panic with some wind-magic; everyone else will charge in after that."

Both magic users dashed out of their cover, taking aim together and summoning two Elwinds that forced the bandits to scramble away from each other.

Sully, Donnel, and Lucina charged into battle, keeping the separated brigands at bay with ease. As if on cue, Gaius appeared and started unlocking the cages that contained the villagers.

Robin and Tharja advanced by themselves, trying their best to locate the leader of the criminals.

One of them charged at the tactician as they turned a corner. "Flux!" Tharja's spell sent the man flying.

"Considering how desperate that attack was, I'm sure we're on the right path," Robin concluded as he continued to walk; charging up his own spell as Tharja regenerated her mana back.

Yet again, two more bandits charged at them. "Arcwind!" Robin's spell sent them both crashing into a nearby wall, lining them up perfectly for the dark mage.

"Out of our sight," Tharja grumbled as she sent the finishing blow with an Elthunder.

"Try not to kill them, Tharja..." Robin gave her a worried glance.

"They attempted to hurt you, so I'll make sure they pay ten-fold."

Fully aware of how obsessive the mage has become, Robin decided to give up on the matter for now and concentrate on the battlefield; which led to him noticing a large wooden door.

Behind said wooden frame, was the leader of the outlaws, he was standing alongside two of his best men with a short axe in hand.

Upon hearing a spell being charged up, he knew that the door was about to be blasted off its hinges. "Time them castle whelps learned what us wild-born men can do, boys!"

Dust filled the room, while the sound of wood shattering filled their eardrums. "Wild-born men?" Robin's voice taunted as he entered the room, his figure hidden behind the smokescreen. "Wild boars is what I would call every single one of you, not men."

"Gah, you dare mock us!?" The leader threw his axe into the cloud of dust.

However, as the weapon flew through the air, a green light pierced the smokescreen before a strong gust of wind dispersed the dust and redirected the axe away.

Robin was standing with both hands in front of him, with a smile that indicated that the enemy had lost.

Tharja took aim at one of the side-bandits. "I guess I'll help," She sent a powerful bolt of lightning, zapping the man until he was unconscious.

With a bit of hesitation, the only bandit left – that wasn't the leader – looked at his boss. "What now, R-Roddick?"

"Go git 'em ya fool!" Roddick commanded as he took the iron-axe from the fallen bandit.

"A-Alright now!"

Robin took a stance with his sword in hand, only dodging at the last second as his foe went for a horizontal slash. The tactician retaliated by kneeing the outlaw in the guts, forcing him to bend over and allowing Robin to hit the back of the bandit's head with his weapon's pommel.

Such a blow was enough to knock the man out. "Roddick, correct? How about we settle this already?" There was a slight tone of annoyance in Robin's voice.

The tactician's gaze intimidated the outlaw severely, it was as if Robin could see right through him. "... W-Who are ya?"

"Someone who despises people that send their troops to their death." Electricity danced around the tactician's arm.

 _ **…**_

"Ma! Ma, it's me!" Donnel rushed over to his mother, embracing her with a smile.

"Oh, Donny! Thank goodness you're safe! I was worried near to death boy!" She hugged him back warmly as tears started to flow down her cheeks.

Gaius, Sully, and Lucina watched with smiles plastered on their faces. The latter noticed that Robin and Tharja were approaching them.

"Has everything been taken care of?" Lucina asked the tactician.

"Yup, I think they learn their lesson."

Realizing that the white-haired man was the leader, Donnel's mother spoke out to him. "I can't thank you enough for savin' my son and our village, kind heroes!"

The other villagers soon followed suit and started thanking the Shepherds continuously.

Robin let out a chuckle, but he raised his voice above their cheers. "Please, if there is anyone you should thank, why not the young lad over there," He gestured with a hand towards Donnel. "He was the one that found us and led the charge."

"Is that true Donny?"

Donnel's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Aw shucks, that is mighty kind of ya to say! But I still gotta thank y'all for helping us."

"Hone your potential Donnel," Robin continued. "Use it to keep the village safe, you got what it takes."

Once everything was said and done, Robin announced that it was time to leave, just seeing the Shepherds march off to the distance made Donnel anxious.

Then it suddenly dawned on him. "W-Wait!" He left his mother's side in a hurry. "Please wait!"

Robin turned with a surprised expression on his face, and so did everyone else. "Something wrong?"

"I got a request, sir!" He paused and looked back at the other villagers for a second, they all wore a confused look. "Take me with you, Your Sirness! I want to become a _Hero_ just like all of ya!"

Shocked by what she was hearing, Donnel's mother couldn't help but not keep quiet. "Hush now, you fool boy! Such a thing is dangerous."

"I want to hone my.., er, whatever he said. I want to keep this here place safe! I never thought I was good for nothin' but shovelin' dirt, but Robin showed me there's more I can do. More I needs to be doing!"

Donnel's mom didn't respond right away, for she couldn't understand what his son meant, or rather, she didn't want to lose another family member so soon. "All you needs to be doing is learning your place, a farmhand's no fit for fighting with knights-"

"Actually," Robin cut them off of their argument. "We would be glad to have him."

Everyone looked at the tactician with confusion, disbelief, and in Donnel's case, hope.

Before anyone could question his logic, Robin continued. "We are actually here in order to train, so how about I teach Donny a thing or two, if he isn't fit to join us, then I promise to send him back to the village. Your son fought bravely, and he deserves a chance, we need men like him."

Such a strong argument was hard to counter, Donnel's mother knew this. "Y-You're very kind to say as much, Your Graciousness, but..." She looked at Donnel's hopeful eyes, that were also filled with courage, causing her to let out a defeated sigh. "Well, you're a grown man now, Donny... I s'pose you can make up your own mind."

Upon hearing his mother's approval, Donnel smiled. "Aw, ma..." They shared a long warm hug.

"You just come home safe, love... I'll see that the village is still standin' when you return a hero." She let go of her son with a sad but proud smile. "... Well!? Off with you, then! Glory's waitin', boy!

Donnel chuckled. "I ain't fightin' for glory, Ma. I'm fighting for you! But if I do find some glory, I'll be sure to bring it home for you."

For a split second, Donnel's mother could have sworn she saw his father standing before her. "... Just come home alive, Donny."

"Alright, let's get going everyone!" Robin announced before leading the way, Donnel took a couple of rush steps after them before turning to wave one final goodbye to his fellow villagers.

One of the male villagers approached the lonely mother. "He's a good lad with a big heart.., I'm sure he's gonna make us all proud."

"Yeah, I believe the same."

The villagers started moving out of the fort and heading back to their liberated village, peace has finally returned to their lives.

* * *

 **AN: The first chapter of the year! Took some time to put it out there as well, my apologies for that, I should have tried harder to free up more of my time for this story.**

 **Let me know if the pacing was alright - since I felt a bit rusty when making this one. I also didn't make the fights too detailed, mostly because I didn't think a group of bandits deserved such a thing... Or rather, whenever I recruited Donnel in my playthroughs, it would always be after the Plegian war, resulting in the Shepherds just blasting through the level with ease; which was an inspiration for this chapter.**

 _ **Sidenotes:**_

 _Donnel's backstory_ : I did my best to make him have a bigger purpose when it comes to why he joins, while also not letting him be recruited into the Shepherds right away. It goes in line with Robin staying on the island for personal training, so Donnel will be able to take advantage of this - while also teaching our tactician a few field skills.

 _Severa's backstory_ : I was always curious as to why she was so attached to Holland's family.., and to this day I have yet to see a story that attempts to give us an idea. So I'm taking the torch that will light the way to a new story, hopefully, things go as planned.

 _Robin & Lucina_: I think they were ready for a slightly bigger step, its one of those sudden drops in a relationship that sparks the bond between two people. If I didn't make them do such a step, I feel like it would keep dragging itself constantly and limit the flow for when their relationship building is truly needed **(Let me know if it was far too rushed, for this is probably a step I'm not too sure of)**.

 _Tharja_ : I plan to make her overprotective - and obsessive - when it comes to Robin, but not overly obnoxious. She'll respect Robin's wishes in this story, and act more in line as for how Frederick acts for Chrom: loyal with good intentions; acknowledges when to stop.

 ** _One Last Thing!_**

Feedback is always welcomed, even if its just commenting on your favorite parts - or what you would like to see in future chapters - it helps me a ton when writing. I do read back on almost every review constantly, in order to make sure I don't miss something, or take a step in the wrong direction, so please, express yourself if something is on your mind!

 ** _As always, thank you for the Reviews, Follows, and Favorites; this story is nothing without the readers._**

 ** _May we meet again, in the next chapter._**


	19. Chapter 19: Unpredictable

**Chapter 19: Unpredictable**

 _Location: ? ? ? in's - ? ? ? ? m_

A bright light disturbed Robin's slumber, his eyelids did little to nothing in shielding him from the light, forcing the young man to raise a hand before opening them.

"W-What in the world?" He was apparently already standing up, completely unaware of when he did such an action.

His eyes were wandering constantly, seeking for answers while taking in the view before him. "A grass field..?"

Plains for miles on end, no life to be seen, only an endless darkening sky above his head remained alongside the meadow.

Robin then saw the entire grass field move in a wave-like pattern, his clothes swayed with the motion, but he didn't feel any coldness or warmth. As if the wind didn't cause any sensation whatsoever to the lone tactician.

Despite being at a lost for words, somehow, the plegian knew at the back of his head what was going on.

"Robin."

Upon hearing a very familiar voice, Robin turned around, eyes widening when he saw who it was. "... Lucina?"

The princess looked older, extremely stressed out, and had long cascading cerulean hair – which was something the tactician wasn't used to at all.

"May I speak with you, sir?" Her cold stare made Robin wary.

 _'Sir..? Why is she greeting me with such formalities?'_ He decided to just go along with the conversation. "Sure, anything for you."

His words – which were out of habit – caused her to lift an eyebrow for a split moment, before she frowned and took a deep breath.

"About the current issue at hand – what is your plan?"

Robin couldn't find an answer for such a blunt question with many implications. "Pardon?"

"So you're acting clueless.., or were you truly brainwashed," These weren't questions, the princess was currently judging his very soul. "Whichever the answer is, neither of them matter at this point. The Fire Emblem has been lost, and Chrom is currently bedridden, our chances of winning are slim now."

"W-What..? Lucina, tell me what happened."

This however ticked off the princess even further. "Stop acting like you don't remember a thing! You clearly saw what happened and even told us a pitiful sorry-" She drew out Falchion and pointed it at the tactician.

The scenery around them shifted, rain was starting to pour down as the two stared each other down, Robin's hand fell down to the handle of his sword.

"Calm down, Lucina. You'll end up regretting your actions later if this continues."

"Regret? For getting rid of the very man that is currently the issue at hand? No, Robin, that isn't possible. My mission was to rid of Grima and any possibilities of its resurrection; with Chrom wounded, I must take up the role of this world's savior."

"So you'll cut me down, is that it? Then what? Without the Fire Emblem, and the Shepherds tactician, what will you do?"

Lucina grit her teeth with narrowed eyes, her posture changed to an offensive stance. "I'll get rid of the man that will potentially kill an Exalted member!"

In a split second, Robin unsheathed his sword, blades clashed against each other in multiple successions. Raindrops were being cut as both sword-users waltzed around each other in a battle of wits and skill.

The tactician managed to force a deadlock, allowing him to speak. "You think I want such things to happen!?" His mouth was speaking for itself now, proving this was nothing but a lost memory. "What happened back there was out of my control-"

Lucina kicked him away. "Which is exactly why you're a danger to everyone; stop fighting back, and your death will be swift and painless."

"As if I'll die here and now!" Robin didn't engage, he would only stay on the defensive and counter, cursing himself inwardly for not being able to avoid harming the princess due to using a blade – if only he had something with better reach.

Every attack Lucina sent his way, the tactician felt the sheer amount of fury each blow was powered by, it was clear what her intentions were.

However, being blinded by anger was something Robin could take advantage of. A well-timed and placed attack was all the white-haired man needed in order to win.

Robin heard a yelp of pain escaped the princess' lips when she retreated with a flip, she glanced down and noticed a deep cut on her lower rib-cage.

"Why are you fighting back..? You're making this harder.., harder for me..." Was all Lucina could utter out.

"Because I want to make things right with my own two hands," Robin managed to say without any pauses. "Please, Lucina, stop fighting me..."

"Even when you're the root of the problem? … Aren't you scared of failing? Scared of dooming us all?"

"Of course I am! Every single time we go out there on the battlefield, I am terrified of disappointing you or anyone's expectations!"

For the longest time, they stared at each other, Lucina's sacred weapon was slowly lowered to the ground, and in turn, Robin did the same.

Without warning, the bluenette buckled under her own weight and fell to her knees, Robin approached her with concern written all over his face.

"... Just end me here," Her eyes were dull, devoided of emotions, as she stared at the ground. "I'll make sure to kill you later on if you let me live."

"No you won't," Robin said as he reached into his coat for a vulnerary. "That isn't like you – the Lucina I know wouldn't do such things willingly."

There was no response from the princess.

"You're confused and scared, just like I am," He continued after handing her the vulnerary. "When you are sure of something, your branded eye shines brightly with confidence.., during our fight, I could tell your mind was clouded by fear and anger."

Tears started to swell up in Lucina's eyes. "Am I truly so weak then..? So weak that I resorted to violence because of fear?"

"You're not weak Lucina... If anything, you're the complete opposite of that." He glanced at Falchion that was still within her reach, but Lucina showed zero signs of grasping it. "Especially because you were forced to grow up so fast in order to fill in the shoes of another man."

The two were now sitting in front of one another, with Lucina's eyes downcast; while Robin's were staring intently at her.

"I'm sorry, Lucina. All of this is my fault."

The princess glanced up, she was slightly confused upon hearing such a thing.

However, Robin didn't stop there. "I won't rest until everything is back to normal, no matter what stands in my way, I'll make sure _everyone_ gets a happy ending _._ Mark my words, Lucina, for this is a promise I don't plan to ever break – I'll stop Grima and liberate all of us from the dragon's grip – destiny has zero chances of winning against me."

* * *

 _"_... Robin," A voice filled with concern called out to the half-woken tactician. "Wake up, it's alright."

His eyes fluttered open, they slowly focused on a princess who stared down at him with her sapphire eyes.

"W-What?" He managed to mumble out before yawning.

Lucina moved to the side, sitting next to the tactician who slowly sat in place. "You were muttering in your sleep with a pained expression, so I decided to wake you up."

As the tactician regained his bearings, he noted that they were still underneath the shade of a tree that overlooked a vast meadow. Robin's drowsy eyes soon looked to the side, Lucina was still staring at him with curiosity, while a book was spread open next to her.

"Gods, did I fall asleep while you were rehearsing a lesson?"

She responded with a shake of her head, showing that no feelings were harm. "Worry not, it must be boring for you to hear me constantly repeat the same chapter... If only I wasn't such a slow learner when it came to the arts of tactics."

Robin chuckled. "Don't be so harsh on yourself, if anything, I'm more surprised you haven't given up."

"Well, I do find it quite interesting and useful to learn-" Lucina suddenly cut herself off and stared straight at the top of Robin's head.

"Something wrong?" The tactician's question was answered by Lucina reaching out to pluck a leaf out of his hair.

They both stared at it for a bit, before they shared a small laugh as the wind carried the leaf away.

"Good, you cheered up a bit," Lucina said with a smile.

Upon hearing her say such a thing, Robin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, which prompted the bluenette to elaborate.

"I felt as if your recent dream was still somehow troubling you," She then looked at the sky with a longing gaze, as if she was searching for something, or rather, someone. _'Just like Cynthia, who would wake up in a panic due to nightmares...'_

While Lucina thought to herself, Robin was recalling his vivid dream. _'Those were lost memories, fragments of my past life that should never be shared with the girl in front of me... I feel like the more time I spend with Lucina, the more I start remembering the princess I never had a good bond with. However, the two of them are completely different from one another when compared.., I guess experiences really do build up a person's character.'_

Lucina watched with a disappointed frown, the tactician had entered a trance the split second she looked away.

Realizing that he was far too gone, she raised her voice upon speaking. "Robin, I finished the advance articles of using oil in warfare."

As if a switch was flicked on inside his brain, Robin responded without any issues. "Oil, huh? Do you mean like setting it on fire for sieges?"

"Very much so, but it seems like such a thing is rather.., brutal to say the least," Lucina recalled a specific usage. "Risk of losing control of the flames is rather high and could cause devastating damage to the nearby area."

Such words made Robin feel a small pang of guilt in his chest, something that reminded him of when they first got near the ocean.

This, in turn, made him enter – yet again – a long trance that Lucina quickly prevented. "Is something amiss, Robin?"

"No, nothing in particular." His monotone response did little to nothing in reassuring her.

Lucina considered staying quiet, but memories of the night the two spoke with each other at the castle gave the former exalt enough courage to speak her mind.

"Lately you have been spacing out more and more... At first, I didn't feel as if I had the right to force any information out of you, but it has gotten to the point that I worry greatly for you, Robin."

A small sigh escaped Robin's lips. "Sorry, Lucina... I guess its due to lack of work - my mind has been racing wildly - which in turn makes me start thinking constantly about my past."

"... Yes, that's true; lack of duty does increase one's free time," She continued while glancing upwards. "I've found myself wondering many things as of late as well, but it seems as if my thoughts are small compared to yours, a man lost in time itself."

Silence washed over the pair for a moment, letting the duo listen to the singing of birds and shifting leaves above their heads.

"Maybe I'm just crazy and all I have said is made up." Robin suddenly muttered.

"Such a thing can't be possible," Lucina dismissed without hesitation. "You knew my name and other things that weren't possible at the time. We talked about this before already."

The tactician nodded to himself. "I just find it hard to believe at times..." Robin decided to stand up and stretch out his body with a loud yawn.

He then offered a hand to the princess while continuing to speak. "Anyways, maybe we should consider returning to Ylisstol soon; almost two weeks have gone by and I don't want Chrom burning the entire continent down."

Lucina giggled at the small joke. "I'm sure he'll be just fine..." She said before accepting his hand that pulled her up.

"Can't trust him like that, your father tends to be rather rash in his decisions, and Gaius is also running low on sweets."

"Didn't we bring an entire barrel filled with sugared candies?"

"Yup, but the man is addicted, I never see him _not_ eating a piece of candy," Robin continued. "Besides, we have learned everything we wanted about survival - thanks to Donnel – who knew the lad would be such a great help in that department."

"And in turn, we helped him transform into a true fighter."

"Yeah, looks like he'll be joining the Shepherds without any issues," The tactician waited for the princess to put on her mask, he led the way back to camp once Lucina was ready. "Also, hopefully, Gaius comes back with some good news."

"Have the bandits truly returned?"

"Most likely," He thought about all the possibilities, and revenge was definitely high on the list when it came to stubborn people. "Our camp isn't too far away from the village, so we'll keep an eye out tonight just like usual."

As if on cue, a shadow zoomed past them and a coated individual landed in front of them. "Bubbles, Mysterio, we got trouble." Gaius lowered his hood, his facial expression said many words at once, words that Robin wasn't looking forward to hearing.

* * *

 _Location: Ylisstol, Exalted Palace._

Chrom dodged an incoming spear-attack, countering with his own wooden-spear and nailing Frederick in the chest.

"Fantastic work, Milord," Frederick complimented the lord with a proud smile. "Your hard work is starting to give fruit."

"Thank you, Frederick. Couldn't have achieved it without your aid."

"There is no need to thank me, Milord. Simply aiding you in any way, is a great honor and something I should always be ready to do willingly or else I couldn't possibly be called-"

Aware of the Knight's monologue, Chrom stared off into the distance, specifically at the cloudy sky. "Hopefully they're alright..."

"You mean, Robin and the others who joined his trip?" Frederick asked politely.

"Indeed, we haven't heard from them for awhile now-" Chrom lifted the wooden spear and took a stance. "However, I can't wait to show Robin a thing or two once he's back!"

"Is such a reason why you learned the spear?"

The King chuckled. "Not just that, but learning a new trick or two will catch an opponent off-guard one day, which in turn will allow me to protect those around me with ease. Now, let us continue our training, Frederick!"

"Of course, Milord. Your determination is enough to inspire me to go all out!"

Upon hearing this, Chrom lifted an eyebrow with slightly pale skin. _'Wait, he was holding back all this time!?'_

The light was starting to be absorbed and drawn towards the Knight's wooden-weapon, it then started to glitter in a faint blue glow. Chrom's eyes widen as he knew what Frederick was doing – a tad too late, unfortunately.

Frederick stomped down with his right foot a single pace, he positioned the spear in front of him and aimed it at the now very worried – plus slightly terrified – Chrom. _  
_  
"F-Frederick what are you doing-"

The Lord's sentence was cut off by the Knight's sharp gaze. _"For Ylisse!"_

 _A scream of terror echoed through the palace._

* * *

 _Location: Southern Islands._

Robin's small group of Shepherds stood tall in front of the Village's entrance, the gates were being closed behind them.

"So you're more than positive that this group of Risen annihilated the bandits," Robin asked Gaius for confirmation once more after analyzing the army of undead that slowly marched towards them.

"Affirmative, every single one of them was dead when I arrived to check up on their plans, bodies were cold, most likely slaughtered during the night."

Just hearing those words angered Lucina, gripping the handle of Falchion harder. Something that Robin – who stood next to her – noticed, he could only mentally agree with her emotions for now.

"What are we gonna do, your sirness?" Donnel – who now wore leather armor alongside his tin hat – asked their tactician.

"Donnel, stand guard alongside Gaius and Tharja, your inexperience with these monsters will hinder you, so going out there in the heat of things isn't recommended," Robin glanced at the army. "Plus, there's far too many of them and we need a proper strategy."

The village boy nodded in understanding, but he couldn't help but feel a bit left out, he was rather eager to test out what he has learned.

Sensing this, Robin reassured the lad. "Don't worry, your role is extremely important, our mission is to prevent the enemy from entering the village; everyone standing here will be our last line of defense, so please protect it Donnel."

Almost instantly, Donnel's morale went up. "Ya can count on me!"

"Sully, make sure to ride around the outskirts of the battle, cut down any Risen that slip by Marth and I." _  
_  
"Heard ya loud and clear." The knight commanded her steed to get into position, a few meters away from the group.

Now that all the Undead were close enough, Robin unsheathed his Hexlock-Spear and glanced at Lucina, who gave him a short nod of confirmation. Falchion was unsheathed, the sacred blade seemingly gleaming with courage under the sunlight.

"Lead the charge, Marth!" The duo sprinted forward together, with Lucina charging ahead at blistering speeds.

Along the way, the princess activated Galeforce, Lucina's speed increased and her trail was followed by an afterimage of herself before she cut through the first row of enemies, hacking down three Risen in a single visible attack.

The bluenette swirled around and prevented an undead from slashing her with an axe, this left her back exposed to danger, but she didn't worry, for Robin was quick to arrive and cover her. This allowed the pair to dance around each other and take down any foes that got too close for comfort.

Despite the duo's amazing work and coordination, some of the Risen simply ignored them and proceeded to keep marching towards the village, which Sully wasn't going to allow so easily.

Said Knight's horse galloped through the handful of Risen, proceeding to break their formation even further as she impaled their heads, each one falling and turning into a cloud of miasma.

Tharja observed carefully, watching how the poisonous cloud was starting to rise and cover the fighters. "... Guess it's my turn," She extended both hands, one holding a green tome. "Arcwinds, do my bidding!"

Multiple twisters appeared on the field; cleansing the miasma for the Shepherds.

"Alright, Don," Gaius lifted his bow and took aim. "Looks like we got a few of them slipping by our main defenses."

"R-Right..!" The young lad took in a deep breath to calm his nerves, once his mind was set in stone, he charged after any Risen that survived Tharja's and Gaius' barrage of range attacks.

Donnel's target let out a loud growl of rage as it lifted an axe of its own, however, this didn't stop the rookie's assault, for he swiftly let the axe-head slide to the side with the help of his blade; followed up by a counter that slashed the Risen across its chest.

Donnel's eyes widen as he realized such a hit wasn't enough to take his opponent down, in fact, it seemed to anger the Risen even further and caused it to wildly send out a fury of attacks.

"I reckon I just gots to hit harder!" Donnel dodged an attack before dual-gripping his weapon and cleaving his sword straight through the undead's neck.

Upon turning into dust, Donnel retreated, making sure not to inhale the purple smoke.

"Nice work, Don!" Gaius complimented from afar, he had perched himself on top of a convoy, sniping any Risen lurking towards the sides.

Meanwhile, Lucina and Robin were still engaging with the bulk of the army.

"Lucina!" Robin warned as he spun his spear above his head, yellow sigils surrounded the tactician.

Heeding his orders, Lucina slid on the grass just in time to avoid a shockwave of electricity, she jumped back on her feet gracefully and slashed down a handful of paralyzed foes.

Robin couldn't help but grin, all the training they have gone through together was starting to pay off.

Sully's shouts were heard. "Just a little bit more, I'm starting to see a dent in their ranks!"

Robin didn't hesitate to charge up another spell outside of his spear's limits. "Rexcalibur!" The spell tore down around a dozen Risen while also cleansing the air.

Lucina retreated back to his side, she was taking a small break with the help of his protection. "We are fortunate that these ones are weak." She commented slightly out of breath.

"Yeah, seems like they lack a leader – which is a fortunate thing for us."

"Then let us finish this battle together, Robin."

The tactician smiled. "Of course!"

Without a second to lose, Lucina activated Galeforce, her incredible speed picked up blades of grass as a blue trail – most likely produced by Falchion – followed her.

Robin couldn't help but watch for a moment, for the princess had completely adjusted the skill's speed and power, allowing her to change directions continuously while cutting down multiple foes. When it came to slaying Risen, Lucina never held back, her sword-dance was a prime example of this.

"Precise movements that cost little to no stamina.., she may lack brutal strength, but Lucina makes up for it via endurance and accuracy..." The tactician charged up a spell as he saw the princess' starting to slow down.

As the tactician swiped his hand to the side, crescent blades of wind were summoned horizontally, the familiar sound of a spell leaving its magical gate alerted the princess in time.

Lucina circled around a Risen – using its body as cover – before the spell could hit her. "Robin, these are the last ones!" She announced upon reaching the last wave of undead.

Robin could only inhale sharply before running back into position. "Don't push yourself, the others will notice soon and start finishing the job," He said upon arriving to cover her back.

"Undead-Lancer!" Lucina's warning was followed by the two switching spots, Robin parried the enemy's spear and countered with a thrust of his own – killing the Risen without any issues.

"Lu, Axe-wielder charging in!" Robin switched places with her once more, Lucina's blade sliding the axe-head away before she swiftly cut the foe down.

Sully's horse was drawing near now, the battle was reaching its conclusion, less than a dozen Risen were left.

Tharja's – much needed – wind spells did a final cleansing of the air, while both Gaius and Donnel finished their last targets. Lucina and Robin were leaning against each other back-to-back, the battle was over as soon as Sully finished off the last enemy.

"I would've much-preferred fighting bandits, they're a lot easier to scare off." Robin jokingly said.

Lucina didn't respond, but she did smile and nod in agreement.

Soon enough, Sully approached the duo. "You both alright?"

"Couldn't be any better," Robin responded. "How are the others?"

"Doing just fine as well, no major injuries, and the folks are completely safe."

"Wonderful news, let us return back to camp after assuring the villagers that they're safe."

* * *

 _Location: Back at the Campsite._

"Will this staff do, Lucina?" The tactician approached the unmasked princess, who was sitting down on one of the many crates inside the medical tent.

"Yes, that has the right gem for the job,"

Robin nodded and held out his hand, which Lucina used to lay her left arm on. In the recent battle, a Risen had managed to barely nick her while she was activating Galeforce, and due to the adrenaline, the princess didn't notice until the fight was over.

Due to the lessons that Lucina put the tactician through, he had successfully learned how to use a simple heal spell. "... There we go, that should do it." The faint glow from the staff halted as he pulled it away.

Nothing but a small pink scar remained on Lucina's arm. "You have my gratitude. I'll have to patch up the torn fabric though."

"Before you do that, I do have one small question."

"And that is?"

Robin pointed to the staff in hand – specifically the gem – before speaking. "Why does a cleric have to make sure it has the right jewel?"

"The same reason a mage carries different tomes," Lucina remembered what Lissa taught her long ago. "They serve as a catalyst; mediums that help transport life energy from one place to the other with the desired effect."

"Interesting," Robin's face lit up, obviously interested in the topic at hand. "So we're using this one to just patch up the skin?"

"Something like that.., really any staff can do the job, but each gem has its limits on usages and different types of amplification. So why use a rare and expensive one when we can just utilize something cheaper."

"Truly the same concept as tomes."

"Indeed, that is one way to look at it,"

"Hmm.., speaking of tomes, have you attempted casting magic before, Lucina?"

Caught slightly off guard by the question, Lucina tilted her head at a slight angle. "Only once or twice when I was a child."

"So the usual test to see if you have an affinity for it?"

"Correct,"

"And since you only use a blade, I can only assume you failed at it."

"... Y-Yes," She looked down, a bit embarrassed.

Robin held the urge to chuckle for a second, but he then shifted to that of thinking deeply. "How odd..."

 _'Lucina's ability to heal others would also mean that she can use some degree of magic, but yet she failed the exam that many children go through in order to see if they can become mages... Maybe she's a late bloomer?'_

"Robin?" Lucina's voice cuts his train of thought.

"Sorry," He continued. "How about we give it a try once more."

"You mean to say, casting magic?"

The tactician nodded, which caused the princess to give him a confused stare.

"What brought this about?" She asked yet another question.

"Usually those who can heal others can also manipulate magic in a way. Remember when I said your mana attracts certain elements?"

"Yes, and how we can summon a certain element due to it."

"How about we just see what kind of affinity you have, then work from there." He offered.

"Have you forgotten already? My prior attempts have resulted in utter failure, we shouldn't waste time on something so trivial."

"Come on, Lu, there is no need to give up – we have an entire year ahead of us – learning new things is a part of this journey."

After having a small staring contest – in which the tactician wore a confident smile – the princess ended up letting out a sigh of defeat before listening to Robin's instructions.

"Here, we shall do something simple and easy," Robin held out his hand. "Lend me your hand for a bit."

Lucina couldn't help but hesitate for a bit before bidding his orders. "Then what?" The bluenette watched as Robin held her hand's rear on his palm.

"Concentrate, and try your best to memorize what's about to happen."

The plegian's words were soon followed by an odd sensation coursing through the princess' arm. Her entire arm felt cold at first, and then it started to heat up intensely at the palm of her hand.

Lucina let out a small gasp of surprise as a small blue wisp of fire appeared above her palm, gently floating in place harmlessly.

Being so distracted by the flames, Robin managed to slip his hand from underneath Lucina's hand without her noticing. A bright smile was plastered on Robin's face, for his plan had worked without failure.

"H-How..?" Was all that Lucina could mutter out.

"I shared some of my mana, and used your hand as a catalyst, just like a staff," He then pointed at her hand. "As you can see, your mana attracts fire magic. For evidence, keep in mind that I can't cast said element without the help of a tome."

Just like a small curious child, Lucina cupped the wisp with both her hands. "So I really can attract the elements..." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, but it was with the help of my mana, the next step would be learning how to use your own life energy. I have a hunch that you simply require some extra work compared to others, I'll be willing to help you with that."

"Are you sure about that? Can't I just learn how to use the spear instead?"

"We can do that as well! You don't need to be an expert, just having it as a small backup tool is enough. "

"... Robin, I'm not the fastest of learners when it comes to these type of things."

He shrugged her doubts away. "Yes, but you're the most talented one in using said knowledge when achieved, and like I said prior, we got time on our side. Besides, think about it, if you ever need a trump card against a foe; hit them with a small fire spell, it'll work every time."

Lucina let out a small sigh. "That look in your eyes.., it'll be best if I just give it a shot when your mind is set."

"Great, we shall start right now!"

"Wait, seriously..? I'm starting to think you spent a bit too much time with Sir Frederick while I was gone."

* * *

 **AN: Hey everyone! Sorry for the small delay, this one packed quite the "original content" and I didn't want to mess up at all... Man, if only I could show you guys how the chapter looked originally, the thing was completely different from what you just read. Anyways, I wish we had this chapter in-game, seems fun to have Robin travel around with a handful of carefully selected members, forcing you to play Defend the Area/Survive the enemy attack for a certain amount of rounds, etc.**

 _Sidenotes:_

 _Lucina's usage of magic_ _:_ This one is weird isn't it? Well, remember when I said I want the children to have more common ground with their non-canon parents? This will also be the case with Lucina's mother. Sumia happens to give Lucina some interesting modifiers (Growth rates), one of them is having zero modifiers for strength and one point into magic. Don't worry, she will stay as a Great-Lord who uses Swords and Spears, that won't change.

Also, Sumia gives Lucina the Cleric class, alongside Sage and War Cleric, which I find interesting. To add an extra bonus, Lucina has more Resistance then she does with Defense when in her Great Lord class, but despite this, I always had a hard time increasing her magic stat (and Res) - which inspired this chapter greatly.

 _Donnel's Class line_ : Hero Donny boy, so he's currently in the mercenary outfit.

 _Risen effects_ : I wanted to add an extra layer of danger, so wind magic is more useful now against the Risen due to lack of Offensive Light magic.

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and caught onto a few easter-eggs that I'll be hiding constantly. So far, it has been my goal to plant these mysteries in my writing, so that in a future chapter some of you go: Whoa! So that's why that part happened!**

 **As always, thank you so much for the feedback, follows, and favorites - currently trying to fix my first few chapters while constantly posting new ones, I'll let you know when said old chapters change into THIRD POV, for those interested.**

 **May we meet again, in the next chapter.**


	20. Chapter 20: Hope

**Chapter 20: Hope**

 _Location: Ylisstol_

Donnel gasped in amazement as they approached the Exalt's castle, he couldn't believe his own eyes upon seeing how massive the building was.

"Are we really staying here, ya sirness?" He was standing next to the parked convoy that was being searched by the guards.

Robin – who was nearby – couldn't help but have a proud smile plastered on his face. "Indeed we are, Donny."

"I gots to admit, this here castle is straight out of a fairy tale!"

One of the knights approached the tactician. "You're free to enter now, Sir Robin."

"Thank you, I'll leave the convoys in your care, make sure to bring them over to the barracks."

The soldier gave Robin a quick salute before following his orders.

Every other Shepherd followed the tactician into the courtyard, this was when they noticed a few familiar faces waiting for them at the main entrance.

Lissa was the first to run up to Robin and give him a tight hug. "You're finally back!"

"Heh, hey there, Lissa. How have you been?"

She let go and responded with a bright smile. "Great! I have all sorts of things to show you, Robin! Ricken taught me how to use magic."

"Oh? That's actually pretty impressive, what was your affinity?"

"I can use fire and wind with ease." She snapped a finger, making a small red wisp appear.

 _'Just like Emmeryn,'_ Robin swiftly noted.

"And she has been nothing but trouble since then," Chrom's voice announced his arrival. "She almost burned down the entire barracks."

"I did not!" Lissa pouted while raising her arms in exaggeration.

Robin chuckled but was glad to see his close friend once more. "Good to see you, Chrom."

"Likewise, old friend." They gave each other a firm handshake, warm smiles were exchanged between the two during that small moment.

The tactician soon noticed that behind Chrom was Sumia, who was taking her time walking down the set of stairs - with the help of Phila - that led into the castle.

"Everyone, it's so good to see you!" She said with a cheery tone, but it showed a few signs of exhaustion.

Sully was the first to respond. "How has the captain been treating you, Sumia?"

Chrom's face turned a light shade of pink – Robin raised an eyebrow – while Sumia simply looked at her husband and giggled with a devious smile. "Chrom has been treating me just fine."

They all shared a small laugh before the king announced that they shall have a small feast in the barracks to celebrate their arrival.

As they walked over to the said location, Chrom decided to strike up a conversation with Robin.

"So, how long will you be staying here?"

"Maybe a week or two? I did promise Tharja to bring her back to her family, but she didn't complain when I said we would stay in Ylisse for a bit just to recover."

"I see.., that soon already?" Chrom frowned for a bit.

A smug look appeared on the tactician's face. "What? Did you just realize how important I am to you?"

"Oh hush now," The bluenette continued. "I'll admit that your contribution to all the paperwork was a great asset, once gone, we realized you were doing the work of three people by your own. However, we have all improved in speeding up the process without you now."

Robin raised both his arms, hands behind his head while walking. "That's great news! Now I won't have to work as hard."

"H-Hey now, I never said your contribution was a bad thing..."

The tactician laughed. "Don't worry, I'll give it my all during my time here, and besides, I have an obvious talent towards finishing said office work with ease."

They soon reached the barracks, and the Shepherds soon separated into their own groups of close friends per table.

Chrom and Robin sat next to each other – continuing their prior conversation – while Sumia and Lissa said they would help around the kitchen before joining them.

"By the way, Chrom," Robin changed the topic. "We had a few issues down at the southern islands, which is the main reason why I decided to stay here for a bit."

Upon hearing this, the royal gave him a serious look. "I'm all ears..."

"At first, it was your usual problems, that's to say, bandits," After saying this, he explained how they met Donnel and why they saved his village from said outlaws. "And once we waited to make sure they wouldn't come back, we were attacked by a large wave of Risen, who – confirmed by Gaius – slaughtered the bandits a night prior."

Chrom let out a sigh, the tactician could feel how tired the man was; as if the king was saying; old news. "More Risen..? We have reported issues in Ferox as well."

"Seriously? Have you set up any countermeasures?"

"Yes, we have sent squadrons of Ylissean soldiers to guard the Longfort, allowing the Feroxi troops to protect their citizens as much as they can. Khan Flavia has also offered many of them to move closer to the capital, unfortunately, the majority of her people just can't handle the trip or don't want to leave their homes."

Robin carefully thought over the information he was given. "... And you said we have the reports, hmm... Mind sending those over to my room after this? I'll like to see if we can find a pattern to their attacks, in order to have an easier time defending them off."

Chrom nodded, but before he could give a proper response, Sumia and Lissa returned with plates in their hands.

"Zero discussions about work while at the table you two," Sumia scolded them. "This is our time to relax and enjoy ourselves."

Lissa backed her up with a nod.

"You're right, Sumia," Chrom smiled. "Let us enjoy ourselves and catch up."

* * *

 _Location: Near Mount Prism_

A rather short height girl with pointy ears let out a yawn as she finished stretching.

"Seems like the rain won't let up for the day, Laurent," Her words echoed through the wet cave that the duo was staying in.

Laurent finished making a small campfire before adjusting his glasses. "Indeed; mind retrieving our waterskins, Nah?"

The blonde-haired girl ran up to their sheltered convoy, she carefully made sure her red-dress wouldn't get caught by a loose nail in the wood again.

Once she returned, Nah decided to strike up a conversation with the mage. "Glad we bumped into each other yesterday, Laurent." She handed over the beverage.

"Quite.., however, I still feel flabbergasted with your actions when we first locked eyes back in the village." He responded before taking a small drink.

"Hey now, I didn't recognize you back there!" Nah pointed a finger at his face. "I simply thought you were some creepy pervert who was staring me down, me, a poor defenselessly little girl!"

"Correction, a Manakete isn't defenseless."

This made the young manekete pout. "Not only did you get taller, but you got a silver tongue as well..."

Laurent adjusted his glasses again. "I'm afraid that's the result of being stranded in this time period for four years."

"Now that you mention it, that's such an odd thing... I have been here for only a week, but it seems like you were the exception."

"Indeed, and may I also add one more theory to this conversation?" He continued before Nah responded. "The others may have suffered the same fate, or even worse."

Nah then realized what he was saying. "... So it's completely possible that someone has been here even longer?"

"Indeed, that's a possibility of many outcomes... During my time here, however, I have ventured into Ylisstol, and there were zero signs of our comrades, despite our plan to reunite there as soon as possible in order to join the army. In which led to my current hypothesis; most of our allies haven't entered this time period yet, or barely just arrived."

"... And what about our Grace?" The manakete showed great concern in her eyes.

Laurent shook his head, the light of the fire caused his glasses to have a strong lens-glare. "Forgive me, I have yet to locate our Exalt just yet."

Nah – sitting down with hands on her lap – looked down. "And here I am.., not only away from Lucina, but from Cynthia as well, even when I was tasked to look out for her."

"Quite so, I also feel the same, but we must have faith in them all – they are all strong – we're strong."

"Y-Yeah.., you're right," Nah looked up and flashed the mage a small smile. "But tell me, Laurent. How did you manage to survive this long?"

"When I first arrived here, I have decided to make use of my time when I first discovered just how far back I went into the past. Taking advantage of my knowledge of the future, I bought steel, iron, and weapons while working in Ylisstol. This proved useful when selling them during the Plegian war to unsuspecting merchants that believed the fight would continue on for an extended period of time."

"Whoa, that's rather intelligent.., then again, that's our ace tactician for ya! You might even stand on par with the legendary Robin himself..."

Laurent let out a sigh. "Please, don't flatter me so... Comparing me to such a large pillar would be disrespectful to the Grandmaster of Ylisse."

"Always the modest one..," Nah giggled before grabbing some fuel for the fire, placing it carefully into the pit. "So what's our next destination?"

"Before our reunion, my goal was to locate an ancient relic of old that could serve us in the future."

"Oh? And that would be?"

Laurent reached over to a leather bag – nearest to him – before pulling out an old book. "A staff that is said to wield the power to heal someone completely, even when being inflicted by a mortal wound." He flipped through the pages swiftly before stopping and handing the book over to the manakete.

The blonde-haired girl took in what the pages contained, a drawing of a beautifully illustrated staff was on the left side, while the right page contained vital information – including its name.

"The Goddess Staff..," She uttered out softly in awe.

"Indeed; such an item will be our backup plan if Chrom enters a dire situation during the upcoming war, a war we must join." Laurent's words echoed through the cave, forcing Nah to register them fully, despite her small trance.

"So we need to find this relic, and then join the Ylissean army..." She repeated the plan over and over in her head. "Well, I was never much for tactics, but I'll do my best to support you, Laurent."

This made the mage smile. "Hearing such words after so long.., I'm glad to have an ally back."

"Likewise! Being alone makes me anxious.., ooh, I really hope everyone is alright..."

Laurent didn't speak, but Nah knew that he felt exactly the same, it was impressive to see that the Mage grew up to be a very capable young man.

Suddenly, Nah remembered a certain question. "What happened to the Exalt of Peace?"

Such a sudden question caught Laurent off-guard for a second or two before he responded with a shake of his head. "If the stories are true, she sacrificed herself in order to halt the war between Ylisse and Plegia."

"... So we failed already? We lost the very symbol of peace so fast..?" Nah's morale was starting to plummet to the ground.

"Worry not, for Emmeryn did not fall into the hands of assassins like in our timeline... Her sacrifice sped up the process in which the war ended, and now both Ylisse, Regna Ferox, and Plegia are on better terms – alongside fewer lives being lost – which will further improve our chances against Valm."

"So in the end, things are better this way..."

Laurent looked past the fire and stared at the woods outside, water was dripping down in the form of a small waterfall at the cave's entrance, which limited his view somewhat.

"The next Exalt in line would be Justice, which is Lucina's father..." His voice echoed softly. "Then it would be Hope.., Lucina's respected title back in our time."

Nah held a bittersweet smile. "Her presence was always reassuring, huh? Especially on the battlefield, everyone would always fight twice as hard while believing that we could win; as long as she was there with us, we would fight till the end."

"... My, my," Laurent let out a small sigh. "It appears we miss our liege greatly.., but I can assure you Nah, we shall reunite with both Lucina and everyone else when the time comes."

The manakete nodded in agreement. "Of course, but they're like family.., so you can't help but worry about them."

Any further words on their minds were held back, for the duo mutually decided to sit quietly near the campfire, listening intently to the crackling of the wood as time went by.  
They would soon head out the next day, towards a vast desert – east of Ylisstol – in search for the powerful relic known as the Goddess staff, an important tool that could potentially change the outcome of the future itself.

* * *

 _Location: Robin's dorm._

By the time Robin returned to his room, it was almost sunset, which resulted in him going straight to work with the Risen reports that he asked Chrom to deliver earlier that day. So far, the tactician has created a layout on a map, which carefully marked the areas in which a recorded Risen attack has taken place.

"... They don't have a clear pattern when it comes to where and when they strike..," He muttered to himself. "They also disappear without a trace after a day or two."

The doors to his room opened, he glanced back and saw that Lucina returned with a tray that carried two teacups. "Figured out something?" She asked before placing his drink on the desk.

"All the encounters are random, and aimed at villages or areas with little to no resistance against the attacks."

Lucina took the liberty to observe the map while Robin enjoyed his warm beverage.

"Risen attacks are like the weather," She suddenly spoke out. "Just like areas that lack rain, Risen follow certain rules as to where they can appear."

Robin lowered his cup. "Ah, that's right, you have more experience than anyone else when it comes to them."

The princess nodded. "There's one thing we can exploit," Lucina's finger traced the map, at an area near Ylisstol. "Here lies Mount Prism, which holds a holy sanctuary near its peak that is blessed by the divine dragon, Naga."

"Yes.., I have heard of it somewhere, this is also where Naga resides in and is the area in which the Exalt performs the awakening."

"Correct, and if you look closely," Lucina gestured at the marked areas. "There have been no reports of Risen, and the areas nearby lack any attacks as well. Some areas – even back in my time – didn't get attacked by Risen until Grima regained most of its power, humanity retreated to said locations and held their ground until the end."

Suddenly, an idea came to mind. "Lu, can you mark down said areas that didn't get attacked? If we can avoid defending said locations, we'll be able to focus better on zones that do require our help."

"Of course, it'll be an honor to help my-" She cut herself off for a bit. "... My Father's people."

Robin instantly knew what bothered her there. "They're still your people as well..."

"No, that would be wrong.., I lost my Kingdom and my people, the title of Exalt is worthless without them."

Sadly, Robin couldn't find a counter to her statement – for now at least – and after a moment of silence, Lucina started working on locating the 'safe zones' around the world map.

Interestingly enough, it mostly included areas in both Plegia and Ylisse, but almost none in Regna Ferox.

"How odd," The white-haired plegian muttered. "Is it due to the terrain..?"

"As to why Regna Ferox is attacked often?" Lucina confirmed the question before answering. "To put it simply, the land is large and isn't guarded easily, for every human that falls under the Risen outbreaks – Grima gains another undead soldier."

"In that case, we really need to help Regna Ferox."

"Indeed, another theory as to why some areas suffer so much is due to being far away from Naga's blessings, but such a thing won't stop Grima's might when it regains most of its power."

"I see..," Robin glanced at the map for a bit. "How about I offer another plan."

"I'll be willing to hear it,"

The tactician stood up and started pacing around the room. "If we can get more information about the Risen before Valm attacks us, that shall give us an advantage once Grima starts being a real issue... There are different types of Undead; each with a different fighting style as well; so collecting data will be a great asset."

Lucina just watched the tactician constantly walk from one end of the room to the other, at one point, she started smiling – finding the scene a bit funny.

"Lucina," Robin then moved back to his desk and pulled out a new – smaller – map. "What if we take advantage of this upcoming journey by achieving three goals all at once."

"Pardon?"

Once the map was properly traced with lines, Robin showed the princess, the layout showed that they would take an extended route near the southern cost of Plegia, they would then curve up the western coast and into the territory of Regna Ferox before circling back to Ylisse.

"If we encounter Risen on our journey, we shall document them in a journal," Robin swiftly explained. "That will be one of our primary goals, the second one would be training, and our final – most important – milestone, will be finding your allies."

Lucina – who originally had her eyes on the map – locked eyes with Robin with a surprised expression. "You remembered."

"Of course I did, it has never left my mind," The tactician moved over to the window, his eyes glued to the horizon that showed a beautiful sunset. "If we find such allies, they will be a great asset against the lingering danger, because they have something no other man or woman could possibly beat them in..."

Robin then faced towards her, the sun behind him cascaded a radiant light over him. "Just like you, Lucina.., they have unmatched perseverance."

* * *

 **AN: Apologies in advance for the cliffhanger! Sorry, but I want to cut it short on this one, I promise the next one is a doozy... In fact, I'm already working on it as you read this, and the estimated time of posting it will be on 26th of February.**

 **I honestly have no sidenotes for this one, except for the titles that I decided to give the Exalts for more "flair" to each one. However, I would like to hear your feedback on it!**

 **Thank you for the Favorites and follows, never was I expecting to reach such a high number when first starting this out - and a special thanks to those who leave a review or strike up a conversation via PMs!**

 **May we meet again, in the next chapter.**


	21. Chapter 21: Closer & Further

**Chapter 21: Closer & Further**

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Unknown Western wilderness._

A harsh blizzard was brewing over the frigid lands of Regna Ferox, such natural power threatens to consume two travelers; mostly the one that was starting to lag behind.

"K-Kjelle, slow down p-please..." The girl stuttered, not only because she was cold, but because she was also shy.

"Just pick up the pace, Noire!" Kjelle shouted above the rushing wind and through her armored helmet.

However, Noire couldn't help but frown as she attempted speeding up, something that the ankle-deep snow wouldn't allow easily. "I'm not heavily armored like you, Kjelle..." She spoke out with thinking.

This made the armored knight look back at the orange-haired assassin. "And it isn't my fault you're wearing leather armor that practically does nothing."

"... An assassin n-needs to use this type of wear,"

Kjelle let out a sigh before turning to continue moving. "Fine, stay close to me and use my armor as cover."

Upon hearing this, Noire wasted no time in getting into position, which successfully sped up their travel time.

"I hope the others are alright," The shy girl muttered.

Kjelle – who barely heard her – decided to scoff at such a doubt. "If they lived through the hell hole that we went through, then they shouldn't have any trouble in this time period."

Noire agreed, but she was still worried about one person in particular. "Do you think Cynthia is with Nah at the very least?"

"Hopefully..," Kjelle sounded a bit annoyed. "That troublemaker pushed us into the portal without thinking of the consequences!"

"W-Who knew jumping at different times would drastically change our drop off points.., oh wait, Laurent had a theory about it."

Before they could continue the conversation, something up ahead caught the Knight's attention.

"Wait, Noire, the road ends,"

"H-Huh?" The assassin peaked to the side – around Kjelle – but the blizzard limited her sight drastically.

Either way, they both proceeded with caution, until they reached a downward slope that led to a village.

Kjelle couldn't believe her eyes at first, for the buildings had light emerging from the windows and smoke appearing from the chimneys. "Civilization.., so we're truly in an era in which the Fell-Dragon hasn't destroyed the world."

Noire had a smile on her face. "L-Lets go ask for help,"

The knight took off her helmet, revealing neck-long hair, which was a direct contrast to the snow around them due to its jet-black coloring. "Yeah, let us find refuge."

* * *

 _Location: Plegia, Southern Seaside Road._

A great amount of time has passed – two weeks – since Robin returned to Ylisse and presented Donnel to the Shepherds.  
Which meant that Robin's next journey had already started, the first goal was to drop off Tharja with her family, which happened the day prior. Now the convoy he was using was traveling down a graveled road alongside the coastline of Plegia's southern side.

The ocean cold breeze was a wonderful attribute in countering the climate that was slowly shifting to higher temperatures, both due to change of season, and due to the desert's natural properties.

Robin – when not needing to watch the road – kept giving the nearby beach some glances, it still made him queasy, but he did think the sight was beautiful.

Suddenly, a bump in the road made the wagon bounce a bit, which led to someone letting out a small shriek at the back.

"Are you alright?" Robin called out to his companion.

"Y-Yes..!" Lucina called back in reassurance, but the tactician could hear her shifting around in a panic.

Not exactly believing the princess, Robin slowed down the convoy before halting it completely, he then made his way to the interior of the convoy.

What he saw was nothing but a futile attempt at hiding an accident. "... Lucina.., why is there ink splattered on the wooden flooring?"

"A-As you can see, the bump in the road caught me off guard.., and caused it to spill."

At first, Robin didn't suspect much, but he then noticed that Lucina had both hands behind her back.

"Hiding something?" He called her out.

"W-What..? No, I'm not hiding anything, Robin." The princess gave a nervous smile; lacking a mask didn't help either, as her eyes avoided his gaze.

"You're a terrible liar..."

"Accusing me of lying is uncalled for, Robin. You know very well that an image of a princess should be maintained by never doing such-"

Robin swiftly took a step forward and spun her around, snatching the item that was concealed behind her back – lacking a cape at the time also didn't help the bluenette at all.

Once his eyes registered what it was, he let out a sigh and held the book up. "You spilled ink all over the new book I just bought."

Lucina hunched her back – making herself look smaller – and glanced over her shoulder, she was ashamed of what had just transpired. "Truly, I'm sorry, Robin... My attempts to write notes in order to help my progress in learning backfired greatly."

Despite being slightly annoyed – due to not getting the chance to read the book – Robin couldn't stay mad at her since it wasn't Lucina's fault that the road was bumpy in that exact moment.

"Don't worry, we'll buy a new copy when we get the chance-" He flipped through the pages. "Some of them didn't get damaged, so it's still somewhat usable."

Even after being reassured, Robin could tell that Lucina was still feeling a bit guilty, so an idea came to mind.

"Lucina, how about we take a break – the horses are tired as well – so we should take the time to prepare some food and enjoy the view outside."

"... That would be quite nice," She responded with a weak smile. "All this traveling for the past few days has been quite tiring."

"Yes, I agree, but it is nice to see the world around us," Robin made his way to a certain crate, specifically one that held their food supplies. "Help me move these outside."

The duo soon started preparing some simple meals – mostly Lucina due to Robin's inability to cook anything – which they would later eat with the joyful view of the sea before them.

As time went by, Robin couldn't help but have a smile plastered on his face, just the view of the open blue sky alongside the endless sea was enough to calm him once he settled down his fears.

"Feeling any better?" Lucina's sudden question cut through his small trance.

"Heh, slowly but surely, I'm getting used to being near the ocean."

"... May I ask a question, Robin?"

"You already are," He joked lightly, which caused Lucina to stare at him with a slight pout. "But go ahead, I'll give you another one, free of charge."

The princess simply shook her head before continuing. "Simply put, isn't it weird for you to lack memories? Experiencing everything like if its the first time..?"

"Hey now, I said one question was free of charge-" He was cut off but a light punch from the princess. "Okay, okay... Well, to answer those questions, yes and no."

Upon being greeted with curious eyes, Robin decided to elaborate more.

"I find it awkward not being able to remember anything," He continued. "Especially when at times I feel like I should know something, or when I suddenly remember information that I can't trace back to where I heard or read about. However, I do find it a blessing to be able to enjoy moments like these as if they were extremely precious and special..."

"Those feelings you hold.., they are the same ones I feel whenever I see the world in peace,"

Robin chuckled. "I guess that's also a blessing in itself..," He muttered to himself. "Being able to fill up the gaps in my memories with the Shepherds.., and well, you of course."

Lucina looked to the side – directly at him – with a slight tilt. "Turning soft are we?" She returned her gaze to the sea with a smile. "Who knew the Grandmaster of Ylisse would be this kind."

"My apologies if that's a slight disappointment to my future self's image."

This made the bluenette look at him. "N-No, I didn't mean it like that... Did I fail once more at making a joke?" She whispered the latter to herself.

Robin didn't quite hear her, but he had a solid guess as to what she said, which caused him to chuckle. "Good to hear I'm not just some awkward guy that has no chances of ever having a-"

Suddenly hearing him cut himself off, the princess raised an eyebrow. "Robin?"

"Say, Lucina... Did I ever have a child back in your time? Maybe even my family visited the castle... One thing that still remains in the dark, is memories of my childhood."

Such a question caught her completely off guard. "Telling you such a thing might be dangerous."

"I'm already working to change the future, and everything we have done has already altered things drastically."

Upon hearing this, the princess took the time to collect the right words – a breeze's length – before speaking. "The Robin I knew didn't wed anyone, nor do I recall hearing about his family members."

Those words stung the Plegian's heart quite a bit. "... Is that so?" He stares off into the horizon with a saddened gaze.

"However, you shouldn't worry," The princess quickly reassure him. "Must I remind you of your own words? The future is changing drastically, so anything has the potential to change. I'm also more than positive that you'll find the right person, especially since you're kind and considerate of others, something I find quite-"

Lucina halted, her face turning a light shade of red as she realized what she was about to say, all while Robin stared at her with a growing smirk on his face.

"What was that, Lu?" He teased her further once she turned away from him.

"... That your traits.., are, you know."

This made Robin chuckle. "Thanks, Lucina, your words are enough to cheer me up," He suddenly stood up and stretched in place. "Now that we're all charged up, how about we train a bit?"

Lucina – who steeled herself once more – got up and agreed by continuing the topic. "What type of training?"

"Let us try to improve your casting abilities once more; look around us, no trees are in sight so the risk is minimum, and a large body of water is also near just in case."

Of course, he was speaking about Lucina's ability to cast fire, however, there was a small catch. The princess could only cast fire magic, which hindered Robin's ability to teach her during their previous trip, now was the perfect opportunity to increase her magical strength safely; without creating a forest fire of course.

"Are you sure about this? Casting magic doesn't really seem to be my strong suit..."

"No excuses, young lady. Catching your opponents off-guard with any small surprise is a huge benefit."

They slowly made their way towards the beach before they positioned themselves on opposite sides.

As instructed back at the southern islands, Lucina concentrated while holding out a palm in front of her, constantly repeating the same ancient words in her mind until a wisp of fire appeared.

"Throw it my way, Lucina," Robin stood tall with both hands inside his coat's front pockets.

"Very well, I won't hesitate..!" She extended her arm with a bit of force, which launched the spell.

However, the tactician showed no signs of intercepting it, in fact, he knew what would happen in the next second. As predicted, a strong breeze blew by and carried the wisp away, causing it to completely miss its target.

"Not good enough, focus harder, make it stronger." He instructed.

"R-Right!"

* * *

 _Location: Regna Ferox, North-West Village._

Noire fed the fireplace some dry wood, the sudden increase in warmth made her hum in pleasure as she sat near it for a bit. "The previous night was quite cold..."

Kjelle – the one who was sharing the room with her – was armoring herself up. "Yeah, and the blizzard passed, so now would be a good opportunity to leave."

"A-Already..? But the folks around here are such n-nice people..."

"Have you forgotten? We have a mission to carry out." The knight grabbed her shield and lance before moving to the door.

Noire – a bit hesitate to leave the warmth of the fire – stood up and fiddled with her fingers. "Y-You're right.., I guess I just felt a bit selfish for having a warm bed and shelter for once."

"Agree," Kjelle opened the door, which led directly outside, the sunlight made the white snow glare. "Great, we have to deal with potentially being snow-blinded."

Not wanting to be left behind, Noire quickly fetched her quiver and bow and a bag filled with provisions. "G-Good thing they included food supplies for us; when we sold my steel-sword to the owner of this cabin."

"Yeah, hand me a fruit or something."

Noire didn't comply. "We must r-ration them out properly..."

"Noire, I'm starving, we haven't eaten since we left to Mount Prism."

Again, the assassin didn't agree. "W-We shall eat later."

"Funny.., because that's exactly what you said last night, you're absolutely crazy if you think I'm waiting any longer!" Kjelle turned and called her out. "Hand over the bag."

The orange-haired slim girl shook her head and protected the bag. "What if we get into a d-dire situation and we're stuck inside a d-dark cave."

"That won't happen... We're aren't in that darn hell hole anymore."

Hearing such words caused Noire to reflect on them for a bit. "... S-Sorry, I guess I'm still traumatized.., not used to this yet." She handed over the bag with a bit of hesitation.

As Kjelle took the bag, a rather large commotion was starting to brew over at the main plaza of the village they were staying in. "For the love of Naga, what now?" The knight abandoned the idea of eating for now. "Let's go check it out, Noire."

The natural instinct of helping out others was deeply engraved into the new generation of Shepherds, just like the heroes before them, they would advance and help those who cannot defend themselves.

This was one of those times, for Noire and Kjelle quickly found out the source of the issue at hand.

"Listen up ya whelps!" A man in animal fur shouted at the top of a barrel. "I want everyone in a line, all valuables and food better go in this here bag!"

Bandits were looting the village, Kjelle could see a few of them wandering around, forcing the villagers to give up all their belongings and hard-earned supplies.

"How many arrows ya got, Noire?" The knight whispered.

"More than enough."

Kjelle couldn't help but smile. "That's what I like to hear... Go to a rooftop and give me cover, I'll make a scene; doubt anyone here can take us on."

Noire wasted no time in jumping onto a nearby wagon, using it to elevate herself closer to a roof, which she swiftly got on top of.

Kjelle approached the assumed leader of the bandits, but before she could reach him, someone else arrived at the scene.

"You darn rascals are back for more?" A man – around his mid-forties – stood up against the lead bandit.

"Old man? How many times we gots to tell ya not to get in our way, want us to burn this village to the ground?!" The bandit barked back at the blonde.

Said blonde-haired man unsheathed a blade. "Sorry, I don't speak craven. Now go and tell Cassius to pack his bags and leave these lands, least he wants me to come and get him myself."

Kjelle raised an eyebrow. _'Does that man want to get himself killed!?'_

"Everyone!" The unexpected hero of the village shouted. "Get inside and lock your doors!"

Almost as if the village knew exactly what to do, they left the scene as fast as they could, but a few were caught by a couple of bandits.

"Move an inch fella and I'll order them to cut those hostages down!" The bandit warned as he took out a sword of his own.

Kjelle, on the other hand, wasted no time. "Noire, take them out!" She yelled as she charged at one of the nearby ruffian holding a young woman by force.

Two arrows shot down their respective targets, liberating the hostages while Kjelle saved the last one.

"What the!?" The bandit couldn't believe his eyes, but his small state of shock was interrupted by the older man charging him down with a blade in hand.

They exchanged blows, but it was clearly obvious who had more experience in the art of swordplay.

The village's protector was swift on his feet – despite his age – and parried the blows effortlessly before cutting the bandit's wrist with a graceful counter.

Said cut was enough for the rogue to drop his weapon in utter pain. "D-Damn you, Liam! We'll come back and kill you, this was your last chance!"

"Send Cassius my regards." Liam watched as the bandit made a run for it.

Kjelle was impressed by the display of wits and skill, so much so that she didn't notice Noire's return.

However, Liam turned to face both of them. "You two, speak your occupation and who you are."

"From the Shepherds, Sir!" Kjelle swiftly answered with respect, something that caught Noire by surprise.

"S-So am I..." She backed the knight up.

Liam raised an eyebrow. "Shepherds.., the same ones that fought in the Plegian war? Why are you lots here? Out for some training, I'm willing to reckon."

Both the time travelers instantly knew what time period they were in now, and so they both inwardly agreed on going along with the idea.

Kjelle was the one to do all the talking. "Correct, we're out here in search of new challenges during peacetime."

"Oh? … Bah, you youngsters are just looking for trouble. War is over, go enjoy your peace back at Ylisse." Liam turned to leave, but the Knight wasn't done yet.

"Wait, what about those bandits, surely you'll need help." The duo followed him, or rather, Kjelle pursued while Noire simply stuck like a shadow.

Liam didn't stop. "That's none of your business, while your help was appreciated, I don't need some kids getting themselves hurt."

"K-Kids!?" This offended the knight greatly, for being called such a thing was basically saying Kjelle couldn't handle the real world. "You know nothing about us, old man! Who's to say we aren't trained warriors that can take you on?"

In a flash, Liam spun and pointed a blade at Kjelle's neck – Noire responded by taking aim at Liam's head, her eyes narrowed with a serious frown.

The trio stared at each other, none of them making any unnecessary movements. Kjelle simply stood there, staring straight into the man's amber eyes, allowing him to read her entire life story, a tale filled with pain and fighting.

Without warning, Liam lowered his weapon – Noire followed soon after – before speaking up. "I take my statement back, you're no kids, just adults in the body of teens. I reckon you were both forced to fight in order to live."

"Similar situation to what this village is going through," Kjelle gave an odd comparison to her life of fleeing against the Risen. "So will you let us help or not?"

"Do whatever the hell ya want, I could care less than pegasus dung," Liam turned and started walking down the road – which was slowly being filled up by villagers once more. "Those bandits will attack again soon enough, and I plan to march straight to that abandoned castle to cut off the snake's head when they do."

Noire decided to speak up for once. "L-Let us go back to our cabin, no point in c-chasing him."

"What a pain he is," Kjelle remarked as she took the lead. "Reminds me of Gerome and his stuck-up personality, always thinking he knows everything."

Inwardly, the assassin thought the exact same about Kjelle, not that Noire would ever tell her such a thing.

However, what the duo wasn't expecting would be the numerous amounts of trials and errors that awaited them in these icy cold lands of Regna Ferox.

* * *

 _Location: Southern Beach of Plegia_

The sound of crackling fire filled the night, Robin was carefully managing a pot of water – above the campfire – by poking the burning wood with a stick.

Lucina suggested the idea of resting up for the day, mostly due to her exhaustion after their recent training, which Robin was in favor of. Besides, it would be Lucina's turn to manage the horses if they were going to travel during the night, and that wouldn't be a good idea when she was barely staying awake right before the tactician's eyes.

"Please don't burn the water like last time, Robin..." She muttered out while laying down on the other side of the campfire.

"H-Hey, have some faith in me..." He attempted to make eye contact with her, but the pot and fire hid the majority of her frame. "And can we please not talk about that accident?"

"... I would obey if you knew how in the world you manage to burn everything you cook."

A sigh escaped the tactician's lips. "I'm slowly getting better, now let me concentrate on brewing this tea."

"You don't have to do such a thing..," The tactician could hear her shifting her weight on the blanket set out for her.

"Nonsense, one must replenish their energy safely after casting for such a large period of time. Luckily for us, Ricken and Miriel were kind enough to gift me these herbs that are said to replenish mana quite efficiently."

Once the water was starting to boil, Robin carefully removed it with the help of two cloths covering his hands.

"Although, they did tell me to write down its effects on paper..." He muttered out while pouring the heated water into a cup.

"Pardon?" Lucina didn't hear him over the multitude of sounds – mostly the roaring of distant waves crashing against the shoreline.

"The tea is ready," He quickly changed the topic, not wanting to scare her.

Upon hearing this, Lucina slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"Here you go, Lu-" Robin paused with the cup in hand, he blinked multiple times before believing what he was witnessing.

However, being stared at caused the princess to be slightly confused. "Something amiss?" She asked politely before taking the cup out of his hands.

"N-No, nothing, I just didn't expect you to have your hair down."

Lucina's long hair was quite the sight for sore eyes, in fact, this was the first time Robin was seeing it in person – that is to say – in this time period.

The bluenette simply smiled. "No one is around for miles on end, and I feel more comfortable this way," She took a quick sip and was pleasantly surprised. "Impressive, Robin, you did a fantastic job this time."

"... Why do I feel like I'm being offended." He sighed out.

This made the pair share a small laugh before silence washed over them as they listened to nature's own melody.

Lucina was the first to break the silence. "To be honest, I never thought I would experience all of this."

Once done pouring his own share of beverage, Robin looked up to showcase his interest. "Still seems like a fantasy?"

"Yes, quite so... Back in the future, the only thing on my mind was how was I going to survive the day; not once did I think about the next day, only the present clouded my thoughts..."

"No matter how many times I hear such tales, it's honestly hard to believe," Robin said while glancing at the sea. "You take for granted what you have, such as the beauty of this world, and only when it's gone do you realize the value of such things."

Lucina couldn't agree more, but there was still something that haunted her greatly. "... Robin, do you think its okay for me to be this selfish?"

Such words made the tactician raise an eyebrow, not fully comprehending what the princess was referring to.

The princess realized this and continued to elaborate. "As of late, I have been able to find happiness.., however, when I realize this, more than often guilt starts bottling up inside of me."

A lump appeared in Robin's throat, his inability to tell her something was frustrating, but he just couldn't find the right words – he was also afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"I lost my entire kingdom," She continued while looking down at her half-filled cup, the mirrored reflection in the tea almost taunted her. "Every Ylissean soldier died for my sake, while the citizens weren't saved due to my lack of strength and leadership... Do I even deserve this chance I'm currently going through?"

Whether it was from exhaustion or not, Lucina had finally lowered her guard, she was expressing her deepest fears and emotions to the tactician freely. This was enough for Robin to find the courage needed to speak out; hoping that his words would mend her scars.

"Of course you do," Robin raised his voice a bit to show how serious he was. "You were robbed of your childhood, Luce; forced to grow up and do duties no one your age should go through at the time. Just like Emmeryn, you didn't ask to be Exalt, and you surely didn't ask for your people to suffer. Yet you were brave and strong enough to give everyone around you hope."

The princess didn't respond, she could only sit in silence and listen to his words.

"And if anyone blames you for their demise, then they can go save the world themselves! They have no right of accusing you, someone who has sacrificed a large portion of their life, in dedication to save the world. So yes, Lucina, you do deserve being selfish, I would be willing to say that no one else deserves such a thing more than you do."

Before Robin knew it, Lucina was starting to weep softly.

 _'D-Did I say something wrong..?'_ He decided to stand up and slowly make his way over to the crying princess. "Hey now, I'm sorry, I didn't mean.., are you alright?"

Once the tactician knelt down next to her, Lucina spoke out softly. "N-No.., your words weren't wrong," She managed to say in between light sobs. "My heart is just torn... H-Hard to speak..."

Upon hearing this, Robin's heart sunk as well, he couldn't possibly know what the princess was currently feeling. Someone who wants to enjoy things that were stolen from her, but is bounded by duty, just like how the roots of a tree never leave the ground.

Mustering one more ounce of courage, the tactician wrapped his arms around the bluenette and embraced Lucina – her head against his chest.

Lucina froze in his arms, which made Robin start regretting his decisions, fully believing he was a fool for doing such a thing without her permission, however, he relaxed once Lucina allowed herself to lean into him and start crying uncontrollably.

Time went on and on, waiting for none, the pair – even after Lucina calmed down – didn't move from that spot. When was the last time the princess shared her burdens? Robin could only wonder as he slowly lost track of time, however, one thing was for certain; helping Lucina mend was his top priority now.

* * *

 **AN: Boo, you made Lucina cry, Robin! Shame on you.**

 **Well! Guess we have made it to that part of the story, haven't we? Man, remember when it was chapter 1 and I was writing in first POV..? Crazy to think that was almost a year ago... Usually stories like these end up being abandoned before the romance starts kicking up, worry not, this one shall see its ending! For I also want to see it myself.**

 **Now, let us get down to** **business!**

 _ **SideNotes~!**  
_ _  
_  
 **So I'll like to point out one thing before we start:** names for all the characters (Let us say they're OCs I guess) who are no-names in the game, are carefully selected and not just plastered on because I like the name of them. If you guys want me to explain them in future chapters during this portion, let me know, if not, feel free to research the meaning behind their names.

 **Kjelle & Noire: **They mention a few key points, for example, being pushed into the portal at the same time. That's my second hint for the day, and possibly last hint for a while now.

 **Kjelle's hair color:** Don't dwell on it too much, the father isn't obvious on this one for future reasons.

 **Lucina's emotional outburst:** She's a strong individual, I know, but she has her limits and own emotional problems, I don't like making her look weak for the sake of needing a damsel in distress. Plus, it was Robin's turn to be there for her, you know? They're a duo, and so they'll push each other and be there for each other.., two halves of the same coin, no? Haha.

 ** _Final words for now._**

As always, saying thank you isn't enough for the support this story has gotten, and I'm super excited to finally be able to write the scenes I most look forward to. Suggestions, ideas, feedback, all of it is always welcomed and I have never turned anyone down to this day.

 _"A writer is nothing without their readers."_ \- I believe in this strongly.

 **May we meet again, in the next chapter!**


	22. Chapter 22: Conflicting Emotions

**Chapter 22: Conflicting Emotions**

 _Location: Western Village, Plegia._

Severa was cleaning up a few dusty barrels under the shade of the house she was taking refuge in. This wasn't the first time she was put to do such a task either, which meant that Severa had fallen into a trance-like rhythm that was suited for her sitting position.

Despite this, the swordmaster was fully aware of the woman that approached her.

"Doing great, Cherry," Aruba spoke out with a grin.

However, Severa wasn't amused at all by the nickname. "You're lucky my blade is locked in that container."

"Haha, sure I am," The woman smiled brightly before averting her attention to the horizon. "So ya leaving soon, been awhile since the merchants rotated for trades over here, they should arrive any day now."

"Good, being here stresses me out with all the sand and sun. Ruins my skin ya know..?" Severa muttered the latter.

This made Aruba laugh. "Hopefully my child doesn't ever become like you." She said this while rubbing her swollen belly.

Severa looked up at the woman, a smirk of her own appeared. "Karma will get you for putting me up through all of this, that child of yours will be an incarnation of me."

"Nonsense, I already have to deal with Holland, who's stubborn as a bull."

Upon mentioning the man, Severa couldn't help but wonder. "Where is he? I haven't seen him since last week."

Aruba – who was still looking towards the horizon – frowned, a look that was becoming more common with each passing day.

"Doing deeds no nobleman like him should be doing... Rushing things, trying to get money for the extra mouth he has to feed, all that led him towards a fate I am not certain of."

The red-haired girl quickly realized why the ex-merchant was looking at such a direction. "... I've heard the mercenary fortress is over there."

A sigh escaped Aruba's lips. "Yes, that man left to find work there... Nothing but blood money and trouble I told him, but he never did listen. Holland strongly believes he has no other choice, due to his breathing problem preventing him from mining and pirates raiding the nearby sea, preventing safe fishing..."

Severa looked down at her lap, which was covered in dust. "Leaving his family due to a sense of duty..."

"I'm afraid so, despite not being asked to do such a thing."

Such words brought horrible memories to the swordmaster; Severa frowned and gripped a nearby cleaning cloth. She imagined a sword-handle being held tightly, all while remembering how useless she felt when her mother left to fight.

"Aruba..," The red-haired girl stood up and dusted herself off. "Care to give me back my weapon?"

The woman looked back at her, eyes shifting from confusion to understanding, once they stared at each other and shared a moment.

There was always one thing Aruba noticed about Severa, it was her eyes that told the tale of a fierce soldier; one that has seen many tragic ends.

"... So you're leaving as well,"

"Ooh? Are you going to miss me?" Severa taunted.

"Hell no, in fact, getting rid of you would be my best option. Like an old product sitting on a shelf."

The two shared a laugh, which uplifted the mood for a small bit before Severa spoke up. "I'll bring him home, and I'll set him towards the right path."

Aruba simply nodded with a gentle smile. "Knowing Holland, he's probably regretting his decision as we speak... But why are you doing this for a pair of strangers?"

"... Because it is something I wished someone did for me," Severa looked away with a small pout. "Plus, I kinda owe you and all that junk."

* * *

 _Location: Shoreline, the Southern sea._

The sound of crashing waves against the sandy beach slowly woke up a peaceful princess. Lucina's eyes opened as her mind registered where she was, the only thing visible in her line of sight was a white shirt that raised and fell.

 _'… Where am I?'_

Memories started slipping back into place, and it wasn't long till she realized what her current position was.

Lucina was laying down right next to Robin – who was still asleep – her eyes spoke great volumes of surprise and embarrassment.

Once her racing heart settled down, she started reflecting on the past, which consisted of many topics. Mostly about her hardships and the conversations between Robin and herself, which despite how sad they were, it somehow brought a bittersweet smile to her face.

The tactician has made Lucina realize how the world is filled with many colors, and that her past is merely heavy chains that threaten to get in her way.  
Memories and experience are what builds a person, this much was true to the princess, but they should never prevent an individual from taking a step forward; Robin taught her this much in his own way.

However, time wasn't slowing down for anyone, and so Lucina moved quietly into a sitting position before standing up.

A small breeze blew by as Lucina took in a deep breath while closing her eyes, the sunlight brought down a gentle warmth that she always appreciated greatly ever since journeying back in time.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind, and Lucina pondered on such a thing for a few seconds. Every ounce in her body was telling her to continue with the plan, but she was starting to get nervous with each passing wave that crashed against the shoreline.

"... If it's for him," The princess looked back at the sleeping tactician. "Showing my gratitude is important."

 _ **...**_

Robin's eyes fluttered open, the overwhelming aroma of food was enough for his empty stomach to give in.

The tactician let out a yawn as he sat up and stretched. "Sleeping on the sand isn't so bad..." He uttered to himself softly before directing his gaze to the lit campfire.

A pot that was sustained above the fire could be seen, and some steam was escaping through the small gaps of the lid.

Curiosity overtook the white-haired man and he made his way over to the object in question. "Is Lucina cooking this..?" As his hands reached to take the lid off, a feminine voice shouted at him to not do such a thing.

"No peeking until I am finished," Lucina scolded the tactician as she arrived with a crate occupying both hands.

"I'm just curious, no harm in seeing-"

The princess quickly positioned herself behind Robin and started pushing him away with her head against his back.

"No, means no, and you should be grateful for any type of meal you receive! Now go over there and wait."

Robin – while being shoved by force – was confused by the bluenette's attitude. "B-But I can help. You know, just like usual?"

Lucina didn't respond and instead left to attend the food once he was far enough from the fire.

Baffled by what just transpired, Robin stood there for a second before turning and tilting his head in confusion at Lucina. Sadly, the princess made no eye contact with him, as if the tactician didn't exist.

"Man, what has gotten into her?" He decided to wander off to the convoy in order to check up on the horses.

However, to his surprise, they were already feeding on their daily hay. "Huh, guess Lucina is on top of things today..?" He checked the wheels of the convoy and they were also noticeably cleaner.

Now that he was completely out of chores to do, Robin decided to head inside the wagon itself and pick out his favorite book. The record contained the most basic and fundamental strategies he used for his tactics and was an essential guide to teaching Lucina all she knew up to now.

"... She somehow got back into my mind again," Robin reflected on the night prior. "Maybe I overstepped my boundaries? That would explain the odd shift in attitude. What was I thinking anyway? Lucina probably thinks I'm some creep after all of that..."

His racing mind was starting to make up very unlikely scenarios, such as the princess leaving with the convoy overnight, or being left alone in the world with no one to believe his bizarre tales about not being from this timeline.

In order to stop such nonsense, Robin squished his face between both hands. "Enough Robin, this is Lucina we're talking about, surely she wouldn't think such things... Hopefully."

"I wouldn't think what now?" Lucina's voice echoed in the convoy as she peeked her head inside.

The tactician almost jumped in place. "Why do you always have to scare me like that?"

This made the princess giggle with a bright smile. "Food is ready, I just came over to let you know."

Almost instantly, Robin's doubts vanished as he saw the bluenette leave the scene. "... I'm just overthinking things," He followed suit after finding his courage once more.

Upon arrival, Robin noticed two logs were placed across each other with a crate in between, two bowls of soup was being placed on top of it.

"There, everything is set," Lucina cheered to herself, it was obvious how proud she was. "Come sit down, Robin, we shall eat breakfast before continuing our journey."

"R-Right," Robin looked at the contents of the bowl – which made him almost drool – before shoving a spoonful of the soup into his mouth. "... This is incredibly good, Lucina!"

Just seeing Robin's eyes light up just like an excited child was enough to make Lucina almost laugh.

Meanwhile, Robin, couldn't help but think just how lucky he was to have an ally that knew how to cook. If the tactician ever attempted such a thing, no doubt he would just create something monstrous that would threaten the entire realm.

"I know we usually work together so you learn a thing or two about cooking," Lucina suddenly spoke up. "But I wanted to show my gratitude for the other day, and the ones before that as well."

The tactician slowly looked up from his half-empty bowl. "Gratitude?"

"Indeed, there have been many times where my own past experiences anchored me down, but thanks to you, most of them no longer do so."

"Oh? Then it looks like I'll have to repay you somehow."

Upon hearing this Lucina titled her head in confusion, which prompted Robin to continue.

"You see, the reason I was so inclined to help you, was because you did the same for me... I'm sure I would've lost a great amount of sanity if I was in this world alone," Upon seeing Lucina's smile, he continued. "So I might as well try my best to cook up a-"

"How about we call it even." Lucina swiftly cut him off with a pale expression.

Robin paused for a bit to register her words. "Oh, um, sure..," He rubbed the back of his head, obviously aware of the princess' doubt. "By the way, Lu. When did you get the chance to learn about cooking?"

"Did I impress you that much?"

"You could say that, although I'm also curious, it might help me in the future."

To this, the princess included her head, pride was swelling inside her. "Speaking of the future, that's where I learned such skills – not because it was a hobby mind you – due to necessity."

Intrigued, Robin gestured with a hand to continue as he ate.

"Resources were limited, and while eating things raw was an option, it didn't provide as much energy or satisfaction when compared to a well-made meal," Lucina recalled the lessons she went through. "Laurent had many manuals and guides rescued from any abandoned libraries... If it wasn't for him, the few people in our group wouldn't have been able to learn."

"Laurent, eh?" Robin had a grin on his face, for the princess slipped up and revealed a name.

"Yes, Laurent-" Her eyes suddenly gave off a sense of dread. "Err, please forget that name, Robin-!"

"Please, it won't do us any harm, I already know about the future and where you're from; seeking help from me will also require some information about your allies."

The princess stared at him for a few seconds before letting out a defeated sigh. "... I just want to be sure they don't cease to exist."

"By that logic, you should be gone," Robin remarked. "The Lucina that will be born in this era would be brought to this world for different reasons, and I also know you in great detail, thus meaning that I can't simply make your friends disappear for knowing what they look like; let alone names."

Upon hearing such reasoning, the princess agreed – albeit with a small hint of hesitation.

"But I digress," Robin smiled. "Continue with our prior topic, we still have time to chat."

"Very well," Lucina took a deep breath as a breeze blew by. "Only a handful learned, in fact, three others beside myself managed such labors."

"That's actually quite the reasonable thing to do... But what if you didn't have enough ingredients?"

"Finding substitutes was common for us, especially when it came to a certain member, who happens to be the daughter of Nowi."

Now that information made Robin raised an eyebrow. "Nowi..!? Who in the Shepherds would-..." The rest of his words were inaudible, thankfully.

"Is something the matter?"

"N-No, of course not, continue on..."

The princess gave him an odd look before speaking. "However, despite doing all this, many times we simply did not have the food necessary for everyone, no matter what we did. Which forced us to feed the sick or those who would fight in the next battle..."

Memories of when the two first met crossed Robin's mind. _'Lucina's state of health back then and her kind personality gives her away,'_

There was no doubt in Robin's mind that they would feed the Exalt first and foremost, but Lucina was in such a terrible state back then.

 _'No doubt she would give up her meal for those around her, whether it was secretly or not, Lucina prioritized those in need over herself...'_ He finally concluded.

"At times.., I would see adults be selfish," Lucina looked down at her laps. "They preferred eating the little supplies we had instead of feeding the suffering children."

 _'That confirms my theory..,'_ Robin grit his teeth, he wouldn't be able to imagine what he would do in their shoes.

Fortunately, the princess was no longer going through such tough times, and her body showed this eagerly in many forms. Lucina's last extra inches in height, healthier skin, more body mass, etc.

And to top it all off – which brought a smile to Robin's face – her strikes were almost or equally as strong as Chrom's.

 _'Then again, Chrom is letting himself loose – while drowning in pies – ever since the war ended... Heh, maybe he'll be a fat old king by the time I return...'_

"Robin..!" Lucina raised her voice – no doubt she called out to him multiple times before doing so.

"O-Oh, sorry, started daydreaming about a few things."

Upon hearing his poor excuse, Lucina decided to end the topic for now. "May I ask what our next destination is?"

"Hmm.., a town not too far from here, highly known for its trading market in Plegia."

Lucina finished her meal and stood up. "Then let us get going, time won't wait for anyone."

This made the tactician smile lightly. "Bright attitude you have today,"

Puzzled at such a remark, Lucina didn't answer him at that moment. _'… Today I feel refreshed, more so than usual.'_ She thought to herself as Robin made way to clean up their small mess.

"C'mon now, don't just stand there." He scolds lightly.

The tactician's voice was enough to disrupt her trance. "Apologies, I'll put out the campfire."

* * *

 _Location: Plegian Town_

After a few hours of travel, Robin and Lucina arrived at the renowned town they were searching for. Unlike many other areas in Plegia, this location had vast meadows and forest, while also not being that far away from the sea.

"This place is buzzing with energy," Lucina voiced out as she carefully maneuvered the convoy through the busy streets.

Meanwhile, Robin was at the back, making sure their items wouldn't get stolen. "Yeah, we'll restock on supplies here and move on soon enough."

At the corner of her eye, Lucina noticed a small commotion. "There seems to be trouble brewing..."

"What was that?"

The princess halted the wagon for a small bit as Robin made his way to the front. "Look, two men are arguing, but they're in armor."

Once Robin spotted the pair in question, the tactician took note of their equipment, one was suited for horseback and the other was obviously an armored knight. "Mercenaries of some kind?"

Before any further questions could be asked, a merchant shouted from behind their convoy, scolding them to hurry up.

Lucina got the horses back into their steady pace. "Maybe you should investigate while I find a suitable place to stay at."

With a nod, the tactician agreed and jumped off the moving wagon, he adjusted his old black coat – since it was more suitable in Plegia – and made his way over to the small debate.

"Turn around and get lost, Dalen," The armored knight shouted. "I already said this land here belongs to the Stonewall Knights!"

"This is our territory, and no one gives orders to the Riders of Dawn, not even you Gyral." Dalen – the cavalier knight – responded in kind.

Robin stared with emotionless eyes. _'… Such terrible group names,'_ He could pretty much sum up the story with what he just heard, so he decided to leave the scene and report back to Lucina.

"Two bands of mercenaries fighting..." The princess thought about it. "What shall we do?"

"Report back to the Shepherds, they'll have to take care of it. Considering how these two talk, they probably have a fairly large group you and I can't manage alone."

Robin was confident in his skills, but he definitely wasn't suicidal, nor was he going to take such a large gamble on their own lives.

"Are you sure we can't do anything?" Lucina asked once more as the tactician moved to write a letter.

"Scouting is an option.., but honestly, leaving this to the Shepherds would get them more recognition and proper training. Unlike us, who are preparing for an upcoming war, the others are just doing normal drills and regular practice, they need to get stronger as well and this is a prime opportunity."

Despite Robin speaking the truth, it wasn't in Lucina's nature to turn a blind eye to those in need, while the tactician was gone listening in on the mercenaries argument, she could hear how much the local residents were annoyed by the constant fighting.

The sudden shift to a gloomy mood didn't go unnoticed by the white-haired plegian. "Trust me, I also don't like backing out of a fight when others are in need, but we are at a clear disadvantage here and I rather not risk-"

"Wasn't taking risks something you always did when going into battle?" She glared at him.

"Lucina..."

"What if the terrain gives us an advantage for being a duo? We haven't even confirmed their troops or seen what they're capable of... Sending the Shepherds in without that information is like sending your own troops blindly into the enemy's fangs."

Hearing such words leave the princess' mouth was enough for the tactician to reevaluate his decisions as he stared at the ground.

 _'Why did I just assume the Shepherds could handle anything? Lucina is right... What I wanted to do there was selfish and something a tactician should never do.., something the Robin she knows would never do. However, I still firmly believe they need some field training every now and then, and that this is risky with just us two.'_

They both locked eyes, unspeakable words were shared between the pair, which ended with Lucina's determined eyes and Robin's confident smile as he thought up of something.

* * *

Sunlight was getting dimmer as dusk was arriving, insects could be heard as a chilling wind echoed through the vast forest that covered up the so-called Riders Of Dawn and their base of operation.

Robin carefully made his way through the forest trails, closely followed by a cautious princess. "Lu, the plan is fairly simple, we'll heat things up between both factions and let them attack each other; meanwhile we take advantage of the chaos ourselves."

"How do you suppose we do that?"

"Taking out a guard while being spotted deliberately is key, once the real fight starts, we'll take out the commanders; Dalen and Gyral," His eyes spotted a distant light – a lantern. "Did you set up the traps?"

"Affirmative," Lucina looked down at her hands, her fingers had a few cuts due to handling fishing line all day. "All main roads have been trapped."

"Very well, let us commence."

They both sped walk over to the direction of the enemy's camp, quickly taking cover as close as possible to their objective, once a suitable target was in reach – a Cavalier on their steed – they sprung their trap in the form of a swift charge and double attack.

Robin slammed the shaft of his spear against the man's stomach, making them shout in pain as they fell off the horse.

"What the-" The guard's words were cut off as he was knocked out by Falchion's flat.

The tactician got what he wanted, voices were starting to ask questions nearby. "Good, he yelped in pain loud enough." Before they escaped, the duo waited for a few guards to come rushing into the scene.

"Explain this absurdity!" One of the Cavaliers shouted.

"The Stonewall Knights are declaring an all-out fight, either strike now, or be attacked when you least expect it."

Robin's bluff may or may not be believed, but due to the heated debate the leaders had earlier that day, the tension was already high and confrontation was unavoidable, these actions were merely accelerating things.

As the tactician and princess took a step back to retreat, one of the guards demanded to capture the duo, and so the expected chase began.

"Arcwind, step in their path!" Robin's magic disrupted the horse's course and gave the duo a head start.

Lucina led the way as Robin made sure the enemy wouldn't catch up to them with the help of spells. Once they were almost in the clear, Lucina slid across the ground suddenly; Robin mimicked the action.

As the Cavaliers approached, the lead runner-up halted suddenly upon noticing a slight gleam – at the center of the road – being produced by the dim lighting.

"They trapped the forest..," The man announced to his comrades. "Strings are set up there."

Many thin strings were set up to prevent riders from going past them so easily. If one would ride at top speeds and crash into it, no doubt it would knock them down if tangled against their neck or chest.

They all watched as Robin and Lucina continued to run off towards the distance, it was at this point they gave up the chase and returned back to base in order to report what transpired.

All the while Robin continued to jog alongside the princess. "Next stop is the Knights, we need to heat things up there as well..."

They soon arrived at a slightly hidden location, where their convoy was parked – this time the horses were separated from the wagon – Robin was swift to mount his steed and ride off.

Lucina's confidence in riding a horse was much higher than the tactician, so it didn't take long for her to take the front once they reached top speeds down the lonely road.

"Robin, base up ahead!" She shouted above the rushing wind.

"Run them through, I'll be close behind!" His lance was positioned to the side.

Before the guards could signal any alarm, the pair ran past the opened gate and started creating a large discord amongst the campus.

At one point, Robin could hear Gyral's commands, but he didn't falter in his maneuvers as he tore down any knight that got too close to his weapon's range.

"Seize those damnable Riders of Dawn! Close the gates!" The commander's voice echoed.

A smirk appeared on the tactician's face. _'Check, one more step until the King falls!'_ He whistled, warning Lucina to retreat.

However, as the princess started heading back, a shadow – followed by a trail of red – ran in a tight circle around her.

Lucina barely caught a glimpse of it, before the creature attempted to attack with sharp claws, something that the princess managed to block with her blade.

At that moment, a distorted male – yet timid – voice was heard. "L-Lucina!?" Upon hearing her name, she pulled the reins.

Almost instantly, the princess recognized it. "Yarne!? Is that really you?"

Just like back in the exalted palace during the assassination attempt, a large bunny exited the shadows. A taguel, a race that was long believed to be extinct, with the exception of Panne.

" _Lucina!_ " Robin's voice was loud and demanding, which made the bluenette look to his direction.

Her eyes widen as she saw him taking out a considerable amount of foes, Robin was keeping the gates open.

"Yarne, follow me; no hesitation!"

"W-What!?" Yarne saw her ride off. "L-Lucina, please wait!"

Once the princess got away – alongside the taguel that surprised Robin – the Plegian conjured a Rexcalibur around his steed, pushing any unsuspecting knight off balance before running off.

His eyes kept shifting from behind and ahead, the Knights gave up their chase, and Lucina was still next to the large bunny.

"Is that Panne? What is she doing here?" Robin asked himself.

Luckily for them, the road was clear of any foes, blessing them with no conflicts on their way back.

Upon arriving at their small hide-out, Lucina jumped off her mount and walked over to Yarne's transformed state with a big smile.

"I can't believe it..." She said softly with nostalgia in her eyes.

The taguel shifted back into his humanoid form, just like Panne, he was wearing leather armor with exposed areas that showed his skin and fur.  
His main features were his floppy long ears, and a small strand of black hair located above his forehead – an odd contrast to his otherwise completely brown mane.

"Lucina!" He went in to hug the bluenette – which she returned – without hesitation.

Robin watched, his mind had already pieced the puzzle together. "So we finally found one of your allies."

Both time travelers separated as the princess nodded. "Yes, this is one of my allies, his name is Yarne, son of Panne and Sir Kellam."

"Whoa! Should you really be saying that to this guy, Your Grace?"

"Of course, for he is Robin, Grandmaster of Ylisse."

Caught completely off-guard, Yarne did a double take between his Exalt and the Plegian. "W-Wait, _the Robin_?!"

"The one and only..?" The tactician wasn't sure how to respond. "However, I'm not a Grandmaster in this timeline."

This made the taguel look at him in confusion. "I'm a bit lost here..."

A sigh escaped Robin's slightly parted lips. "Best if we explain things while we can, I doubt the two mercenary bands will make a move while nightfall is approaching.

* * *

Crackling wood echoed through the forest, the Shepherds were resting in the dense wood that concealed their location.

"Yeesh, all of that happened..?" Yarne asked; as if he couldn't believe such an eventful story.

"Yes," Lucina continued. "And it seems as if you haven't been here for long."

"Y-Yeah, only a week to be honest.., you see, when I went through that scary portal – and thought I was going to die – the first thing I saw after waking up was a lance being pointed at my throat by this Rider of Dawn guy."

Robin raised an eyebrow, but he allowed the taguel to continue his tale.

"So the first thing I did was transform and attack the Cavaliers around me, which caught the attention of the Knights, who asked to take me in... Plus, they kinda reminded me of my father, and were, in my opinion, the highest chance of survival – can't go extinct ya know."

"Yarne, was it?" Robin decided to speak up. "Looks like they wanted to take advantage of your ability to take out riders with ease, good thing we got here before they started fighting."

"O-Oh, I would have probably run off if things got too serious..." Yarne said with an awkward laugh.

 _'Ah, he's a coward...'_ Robin finally realized as Lucina sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Either way, I'm glad we bumped into you Yarne," Lucina smiled sweetly. "Seeing a friend of mine alive and well gives me hope."

The taguel nodded, his floppy ears bounced up and down. "I'm also glad we found each other! But, does that mean I'm the only one so far?"

"I'm afraid so," Her smile vanished, replaced with a frown. "And since you've only been here for a week, that surely means we all have different arrival points.., which may lead to a vast amount of issues in the future."

"Don't lose faith," Robin assured. "We shall find them, or they'll find us."

Both time travelers took in his words carefully, letting them sink in their conscious mind in order to repeat it over and over. For a while, the trio watched the flames dance before them, acknowledging the source of heat that fought off the coldness.

Lucina soon decided to stand up. "We most likely have an incredibly busy day tomorrow, I shall seek rest in the convoy for the night."

"Good night." Both the men said in unison as Lucina left.

Once the princess was out of earshot, Robin spoke up. "She's stressed out again."

"Heh, so you have been with her long enough to notice that as well."

"... Sometimes I find that I can read her emotions better than my own," Robin frowned before muttering something under his breath. "... Lately, she has been acting weird though."

Yarne didn't respond right away, but his interest towards the mysterious tactician was large enough to bargain.

"Robin, if you don't mind me asking, are you really the same guy that is said to face countless odds yet still win?"

Obviously a bit embarrassed by such a remark, Robin rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I wouldn't say _countless_ , I have my limits, just like any other man out there."

"But, you still gain victory a ton of times, right?"

"... Well, yeah, it's kinda my job."

Yarne smiled widely. "Yeesh, to think I have the opportunity to be near the legendary Robin himself!"

 _'Am I truly a heroic figure to these people..? All I really did was serve under Ylisse as their tactician... Not really something that deserves to be called a legend for.'_ He kept his thoughts to himself, for now, destroying one's beliefs may be a disadvantage later on.

"Hey, Robin, can I ask ya something?"

"Oh, um, sure, go ahead."

"How do you do it?" The tactician was obviously confused at such a question, which Yarne responded by elaborating. "Fight without fear, and face any opponent, no matter the odds. I was always told you never backed down from anyone and brought victory to the Shepherds every time."

In Robin's head, none of those things were true, but he soon realized where all of this was coming from. In the perspective of all the survivors of Grima's might, the Shepherds were practically heroes of old that could be compared to other legendary warriors.

Downgrading Yarne's wishful thinking wasn't the correct thing to do.., besides, Robin wanted to grow to be a man worthy of such a title someday, despite how bizarre it sounded.

"I simply fight," He finally responded to the taguel. "Not for myself, not for my survival, but for everyone else and especially for those I care for; simply put; not picking up a weapon and leaving the fighting for others is not my style."

This odd way of thinking was the complete opposite of Yarne's mindset. "R-Really..? So you're not scared of.., being killed?"

"Of course I am," Robin smiled and closed his eyes, deciding it was best to play along. "But the fear I feel inside of me is nowhere near the size of my pride, and certainly nowhere near my care for others. How can I call myself a tactician if I simply send soldiers to their death? They deserve better.., a voice of command that is capable of being there by their side."

"Ooh... I couldn't possibly be like you. Whenever I sense danger, my muscles lock up and I can't help but want to run away, a friend of mine says its mere instincts, but I firmly believe its all the pressure of being the last taguel."

After giving the taguel a small moment to steady his emotions, Robin continued the topic. "Running isn't the answer if you seek survival."

"W-What?" Yarne looked up at the plegian with furrowed eyebrows.

"Don't get me wrong, I can understand the survival instincts and wanting to preserve your race. However, running away will harm your chances of survival.., you could even say it's an act of a craven that harms those around you."

"But I don't see it as an act of cowardice!" Yarne shouted back in defense. "You said it yourself, so you know exactly what's riding on my shoulders, being the last of my race, is far too important to risk..."

"How do you think your ancestors lived?"

Due to the sudden question, Robin was responded with silence, which allowed him to continue speaking.

"The taguel race was persecuted and hunted down, each and every one of them had to fight in order to survive. You carry more than just their bloodline, you also carry their spirit, their pride, and their history." A sudden yawn escaped the tactician's mouth as he stood up and got ready to leave. "If they had all chosen to give up and flee, I bet you wouldn't be here having this conversation with me."

"You... You really think so?"

Robin turned away from Yarne – facing the direction of their convoy – his head was looking over his shoulder with a grin. "I do, and soon the day will come where you have to fight as well, it may be tomorrow, it may not; facing the unexpected is part of life. Make sure to think about that."

As the plegian left, Yarne stayed and reflected over their conversation. "... More than just taguel blood..." He uttered to himself softly while staring off into the flames in front of him.

* * *

Once the sun raised above the horizon, both mercenary groups moved into action just like Robin planned. Despite the advantages each side wielded, they shall not gain victory, for between them all stood a trio that was determined to end it all.

Robin's plan was simple, taking advantage of the heated misconceptions between both groups was key, for they have deployed most of their fighters onto the vast meadows and forest grounds, making it easier to infiltrate their base.

Their equipment was specialized in taking out each respective commander as well, Lucina, for example, was equipped with a bow and quiver alongside a rapier, while Yarne was prepared to follow her in order to take out Dalen, leader of the Riders.

Robin adjusted himself on his mount, he was only carrying his Hexlock-Spear this time.

Something Lucina quickly took note of. "Leaving your sword behind this time, Robin?"

"Yes, I'm holding back after seeing what they were capable of yesterday,"

"That's rather odd of you.., usually you don't underestimate our opponents."

To this, Robin simply chuckled. "Is that so? I merely want to train with my spear a bit more, if I have to get serious, no doubt I'll borrow a nearby blade."

Silence washed over them; Lucina admired the tactician while listening to the forest's melody that played with each passing breeze.

However, things soon got quieter, not even the birds sang and it felt as if the woods froze in time itself.

"I-I don't know if I can do this..." Yarne muttered shyly in his transformed state as the tension finally got to him.

"Don't worry," Their tactician assured him. "You'll be fighting the Cavaliers, just knock the riders off their steeds for now."

Yarne let out a sigh but steeled himself, this atmosphere was the same kind that was felt before a large scale battle.

"Lucina," Robin locked eyes with her. "Once you defeat Dalen, retreat back to town, try not to take too long and don't risk your life more than necessary."

"Understood." She couldn't help but find some glee in how concern the tactician was, this was the first time in a while that they would split up for combat purposes.

 _'Lucina was the one to set up the traps, so she'll be able to use those to her advantage when traversing the forest..,'_ Robin looked at the general direction of the Knights. _'Meanwhile, I'll be able to go all out on that side with my magic without harming my allies.'_

Suddenly the sound of a horn could be heard, it came from the west.

Yarne stood up high on his hind legs, his ears picking up sounds no human could. "Horses are in movement," He announced.

"The bulk of their group is advancing, time for us to intercept them!" Robin ordered as he led the way.

Everyone's hearts were racing – especially Yarne's – as they moved down the road. Galloping horses – that weren't theirs – were starting to become audible to the human ear.

In a blink of an eye, a squadron of cavaliers appeared up ahead – at a crossroad – something that Robin's group foresaw and quickly chased after them.

"As if you can escape this!" Robin summoned an Elwind, the spell was flung with great force, picking up speed until it slammed itself against a Rider's back – sending them flying off their steed.

Lucina took a proper pose before increasing her own mount's speed, Yarne was also closing in on his own target.

The enemy riders took notice of their presence and were starting to try and outmaneuver the Shepherds.

However, once the princess was next to one of them, they both drew their weapons and started attacking each other relentlessly.

Both fighters had swords, but her Rapier had an advantage for being lighter than a usual blade, giving Lucina an edge at swinging her weapon with a single arm while riding.  
With impressive speed and wits, Lucina parried a blow and nicked the opponent's wrist, forcing the Rider to drop his weapon in pain – the victor was clear.

Yarne zoomed past them, his eyes locked onto one of the horses, the distance between his target was minimum as he tackled the animal's side – throwing it and its rider off the road.

Another spell – in the form of an arrow of light – flew past Yarne's head as he picked up his lost speed once more.

The tactician's attack nailed yet another rider with ease, leaving five of them left. However, a pair of them decided to decrease their speed, getting behind the Shepherds swiftly as a countermeasure.

Robin looked back, he quickly realized that the two cavaliers behind them were bow knights. "Yarne, get them!"

Said Taguel decreased his speed, but one of the archers was already taking aim at the oversize bunny.

 _'I need to conjure a spell-'_ Robin's entire world slowed down as an arrow whistled past him, it nailed the aiming bow knight in the chest, allowing Yarne to knock out the remaining archer with ease.

With a surprised look, Robin looked up ahead, Lucina was aiming backward with a bow in hand.

However, Yarne wasn't the only one in immediate danger.

"Elwind!"

Now it was Lucina's turn to realize how close she was to being attacked.

The tactician's spell came in handy in that split second, for the attack prevented the princess from being impaled by a lance-wielding cavalier while she was distracted.

Without a second to waste, Lucina switched weapons and turned to defeat her foe in a single strike.

Only two enemies were left, and they were now extremely close to the town that the Stonewall Knights hid in.

"Lucina, Yarne," Robin called out. "Spare them, they're going to retreat! Follow them back to their base and take out the commander!"

Just accordingly to plan, the Shepherds split up into two teams, with Lucina and Yarne heading east with the retreating riders; while Robin entered the Stonewall base.

Gyral's orders could be heard as the white-haired soloist entered their territory. "Stop that man and advance our troops to the gates!"

Robin gracefully dismounted his steed and glanced at every troop in the nearby radius with his observant eyes.

As the knights approached, Robin spun his enchanted spear – summoning waves of magic – in order to disrupt their march and separate them more into a one versus one situation.

This allowed the tactician to set everything into motion on his terms, he knew this after taking a defensive stance and waiting for his first opponent.

An incoming thrust attack forced Robin to sidestep, he then countered by impaling his spear in the ground – lifting his body up – before kicking the knight in the chest with great force, setting them off-balance.

Following up his previous attack, the tactician held the spear positioned behind him. _'Time to activate Pavise!'_ He slammed the reinforced weapon down on the Knight's head.

The impact was enough to bend the foe's iron helmet, while simultaneously knocking the knight out.

A transparent swirling red veil of energy was still covering Robin; as he stared down his other opponents, challenging them all to fight him.

This strange way of fighting caught the other mercenaries off-guard, so much so that they hesitated to make any further moves against Robin, despite his taunting gaze.

"Why are you lot just standing there!?" Gyral's booming voice revealed his location, although the general was already moving to intercept the tactician himself.

"Gyral I take it?" Robin continued after pointing a spear tip at the man. "Care to give me a proper challenge?"

"You dare make a mockery of my men!?" The taunt was successful, no doubt the general was already agitated by all the recent events.

"Actually, I'm mocking everyone here, including you."

With Silver-Axe in hand, Gyral charged into battle with little to no second thoughts. His first attack was an overhead strike, which Robin dodged before sending a counter-strike.

Gyral simply blocked it with his axe-head, the general paced forward with his kite-shield, pushing Robin back while limiting both fighters view of each other.

 _'Always knights, huh? Good thing I fought them on a daily basis back in Ylisstol..!'_ Electricity weaved around the tactician, and alongside the red-veil that was Pavise; made quite the intimidating sight.

Robin's next attack was directed towards Gyral's shield, the blow set off numerous elemental sparks while numbing the general's entire left arm.

Gyral was forced to drop his shield, barely blocking the tactician's next attack with his own weapon. "I won't falter..!" He was suddenly wrapped in a red aura.

With a raised eyebrow, Robin swiftly backed away and evaluated the situation. "He activated Pavise as well..."

A cheer was heard from Gyral's subordinates.

Said General allowed his pride to show. "Ahaha! What's the matter, fool!? Did ya expect I would simply fall so easily?" He picked up his kite-shield once more and prepared to continue the fight.

"Heh, I'm fine with this," With a smile, Robin charged up a spell. "Although, I have no sense of honor when it comes to combat.., best if you used _Aegis_ instead!"

A beam of light left the tactician's hand, forcing the general to jump to the side – if you could even call it a jump – before having to block an incoming spear attack.

Barely hanging in there, Gyral countered with a strike of his own. "A-Away with you!"

"Predictable!" Robin batted the weapon away with his spear, the vibration produced – due to being coated by Pavise – caused both fighters to winch.

However, the tactician was in a much more suitable position as he spun in place and attacked horizontally.

Gyral blocked the blow with his hunkered down shield, but once more, electricity punished the man. "E-Enough of this-!"

"Checkmate!" The sound of magical gate opening – followed by a gust of wind – was heard.

Gyral soon noticed a shadow looming from above, his eyes widened upon seeing an airborne tactician coming in for one final blow.

* * *

On the other side of the battlefield, Lucina and Yarne were fast approaching the last commander. Dalen was positioned between his fellow Riders, and he didn't look amused by the troublemakers at all.

Lucina and Yarne halted in front of the Rider's squadron. "You must be Dalen," She spoke out in a clear tone.

"Correct, and I can only assume you're those pesky runts I heard about yesterday,"

Yarne growled. "You dare offend the Ex-"

"Calm down, Yarne," She continued to speak with the leader. "Let us fight then, for this will determine who is the owner of these lands."

The Paladin readied their spear, while Lucina stayed with her Rapier, which caught Dalen's attention. "What an interesting weapon you have there, lass!"

"Yarne," She ignored the man. "Focus down the others, I shall defeat Dalen myself."

"Y-Yes Ma'am!" Yarne dashed in, forcing the other lower ranked fighters to dodge or chase after the taguel.

Dalen wore a frown while staring down the princess. "Such an odd one you are.., I'm sure you're not from the Stonewall Knights, for I would've noticed you. A sellsword perhaps?"

"Expect no answers from me, only my blade will speak!" Lucina announced while commanding her steed to pace forward.

In response, Dalen also moved forward; both increased speed and jousted each other, Lucina blocked his blow and attempted striking the man, but it was futile with the speed they were going at.

Not wanting to let up on her assault, Lucina pulled out her bow and took aim; as she pulled the string, Dalen raised his shield and blocked the incoming arrow before charging at the bluenette.  
The princess dug her heels into the horse's sides, the forced command made the steed sprint forward, allowing them to dodge the incoming attack as Lucina took aim once more.

Another arrow was set loose, but once more, Dalen blocked the incoming attack with ease and pursued her.

This time, Lucina focused on being chased, leading the man through the forest on purpose.

Once Dalen grew suspicious of her actions, Lucina decreased her mount's speed on purpose, forcing a battle between both riders with their respective weapons.

However, due to Dalen positioning himself on the princess' right flank, she had to fight through a shield that made everything more complicated.

Despite all of this, when Lucina forced the leader to block, she glanced at the road up ahead and noticed a tree with an arrow sticking out.

'There it is..!'

She commanded her steed to slow down all of a sudden, Dalen wasn't expecting such a thing and kept going, heading straight for the Exalt's trap.

In a split second, Dalen was forced off his steed as he felt countless strings not give in to his mass from the chest up, only his steed managed to run through the fishing lines.

As expected, due to the force of which the rider fell, Dalen was knocked out conscious.

Lucina jumped off her horse, reaching into a side-pouch and taking out some rope.

"Looks like my tactic worked flawlessly," Her smile indicated how proud she was. "Now time to tie him up and call Yarne."

* * *

 _Location: Back at the Town_

Once the fighting was all over, the townsfolk were happy to give the trio some rooms to stay in for the night, alongside a small celebration later in the day.  
Robin, at first, was against the idea due to not wanting to trouble them, but they constantly insisted until the tactician gave up and accepted.

For now, however, Robin was in his own room that was between Lucina's and Yarne's, both of which were resting the afternoon away.

The tactician was simply doing some mapping for their next location. "... An area is known to be near the Mercenary Fortress," He muttered out. "I've heard from numerous reports that they have been causing a lot of trouble lately."

A conversation between the tactician and Gregor appeared in his thoughts. He recalled how Gregor said he used to find a few jobs there, but that there was a possibility that the leader got replaced by someone more greedy.

"Robin," A familiar voice alongside a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Lucina..?" He went over and unlocked the door. "I thought you were resting."

To Robin's surprise, Lucina was carrying a tray with two cups. "And leaving all the work to you? That wouldn't be fair in the slightest."

Unable to stop the princess' kindness, Robin watched her move over to the desk to set down both beverages.

"Thank you," He said before taking his share. "Although I'm already done, I was just routing out our next destination."

"Might I ask where?"

"Western shore of Plegia, near an island that is said to be dominated by mercenaries."

Lucina thought about it for awhile. "Isn't that the same location that required your vigilance not too long ago?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you remembered. However, that's enough business talk; how is Yarne?"

A smile appeared on the princess in an instant. "Doing great, just resting up due to exhausting himself."

"Must be straining to maintained that transformation..." Robin reflected back on Nowi, however, she was way too energetic to be slowed down and probably experienced due to age.

"Very much so, it requires intense concentration I heard,"

"Hmm.., can't help but think it's cool to be able to transform like that," The tactician admired.

Lucina – noticing that the tactician was done with his drink – offered to take his cup away, which Robin complied.

"Since you're done working, allowing you to rest would be best," She voiced out after heading towards the doorway.

"Actually," Robin's voice made the princess halt. "I was wondering if you wanted to head out and enjoy the small celebration the town was putting up."

Such an offer made Lucina's heartbeat increase in speed, something she wasn't aware of at the time of her response. "... That is a splendid idea, I shall take up your offer."

Upon hearing this, Robin had to make sure his own emotions were in check before speaking. "Great, I'll come by to pick you up in a bit then."

Without looking back, Lucina left the room and once in the hall, she took in a deep breath before sighing in relief.

 _'W-Why must my legs feel so weak at a moment like this..? Besides that, my heart is beating faster than usual... Hopefully, I don't fall sick, the last thing I want, is to be a bother to Robin.'_

Memories of how she lost her composure the other day made Lucina feel embarrassed. However, she remembered Robin also breaking down emotionally during the Plegian war and after it.

"We are truly friends..,"

One would think such words had the ability to make the princess smile, however, a strange sense of emptiness scared her; as if a piece of the puzzle was still missing.

Akin to when a person wants something, yet doesn't receive it... Yet, Lucina didn't know exactly what it was.., or she simply did not want to accept a lingering idea that was starting to reach the surface.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for the one week delay, unexpected turn of events have delayed it, so this chapter has been made longer than usual (almost two chapters in length) to compensate for it.**

 **Before we head into sidenotes, I have a question regarding people's feelings when it comes to Double Morgan in stories.**

 **I'm aware of how they are not supposed to exist side by side lore-wise, and this makes me lean towards that, but I still would like to hear other opinions besides my own.**

 **That's the question that I need help with for** **now.**

 **Sidenotes:**  
  
 **Pavise:** I increased the effects of how I want it to work, which is something that reinforces the gear of a user - durability wise - but still maintains logical physics, in which the force will still be transferred somewhere.

In this case, Robin's fighting style does indeed have backlash for slamming his weapon on steel. Pavise isn't meant for offense, but Robin seems to be using it in such ways to bring about a more merciful way to win.

 **Aegis:** This one is tricky, I have yet to come up with an idea that is suited for it... At least when it comes to arrows, if I go with Awakening's Logic.

 **Robin's & Lucina's roles: ** While Robin may have had a more aggressive approach to the situation, Lucina went with a more swift yet efficient way of winning.

I wanted to showcase Robin's combat progress, while Lucina already had her chance to shine during the Risen attack in Donnel's home village.

However, I also wanted to show how kind-hearted Lucina is, and how she values human lives greatly, so she took a route befitting of someone who doesn't want to kill if necessary, while also applying what she has learned from Robin.

 **But as always, thank you all for the support; we have almost reached 200 followers (or already hit it) and I can't express my gratitude with simple words, thus I shall work hard to keep providing everyone with a read.**

 **May we meet again, in the next chapter.**


	23. Chapter 23: Desperate Decisions

**Chapter 23: Desperate Decisions**

 _Location: Western Shores of Plegia._

Severa had arrived at one of the ports after a day's worth of marching, this town was known to have voyages over to the island that was the swordmaster's destination.

However, the young lady was exhausted; being forced to find some shade while visiting the local market. Just so she wouldn't gain any unwanted attention, Aruba opted to give the swordmaster a brown coat with a cowl, for Severa's outfit wasn't exactly common.

"So, you buyin' somethin'?" A plegian shop owner asked.

Severa – who had been standing there for around a minute – shook her head. "No, not really-"

"Get lost then."

The maiden gave the man a fierce glare, not that he could tell due to her hood. "... Gods, I forgot how annoying society is." Severa grumbled to herself as she left in search for somewhere appropriate to rest.

Upon stumbling near a bar, she ultimately gave into the idea to just stop by and get some water.

Once she opened the door, the smell of alcohol attacked her sense of smell relentlessly, so she mustered the required tolerance to step in and find a suitable sit in a corner.

"Can I get you something?" A waiter asked as Severa got comfortable.

"Water should be enough," She handed out a silver coin in exchange.

As the waiter left, the swordmaster averted her attention to another table that was fairly nearby, enough for her to eavesdrop what they were saying.

"Those damnable pirates are just causing none stop trouble," A man slurred.

"Shush man, they'll end up hearin' ya. You don't want that now do ya?"

"Just sick of it all," He defended himself. "They took away my livelihood by making the seas dangerous..."

"Heard their base is on the same island the mercenary fortress is at, just southern part of it, near the Serpent King's sea."

Such information made Severa raised an eyebrow as she continued to listen in, even when the waiter returned with her beverage.

"You mean them Ylissean islands in the southern regions? That means it's that dastard Zanth, the so-called Southron Sea King-"

"Shush!" Once more, the other collective individual hushed his friend. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Might as well at this point... No chance I can live without the blessings of the sea."

The duo soon started speaking of other useless topics, and so Severa took that as her cue to leave the bar after finishing her beverage. A deep breath of fresh air was in order upon stepping out, Severa then thought of what to do next.

 _'So the islands sound like they're littered with issues, finding a voyage that will take me over there will most likely end up being expensive or shady...'_ As countless thoughts surfaced and clouded her mind, so did her sense of direction.

The swordmaster was distracted to the point of no return. _'Either way, I must find Holland and-!?'_ Severa felt resistance in front of her, and it was enough to send her backward onto her rear.

"W-Watch where you're going!" Severa shouted as she looked up at whoever – supposedly – got in her way, unaware that her cowl peeled back.

A hooded figure was in front of the swordmaster, their mouth was slightly gaped open – in surprise – but soon shifted into a warm smile.

"Severa..." The figure said as they reached up to their hood and revealed their identity.

Whatever anger was shown on Severa's face, instantly vanished once seeing who it was she crashed into.

Before the Swordmaster, stood Lucina, the same Exalt Severa vowed to protect. "L-Lucina!?"

Almost panicking, Lucina looked around, some of the passersby were starting to stare. "Let us speak in a more private area."

The two moved into an alley, which gave them a lot more privacy, the crimson-haired ylissean was the first to speak. "I'm so glad you're safe Your Grace!"

Lucina smiled and nodded, she was happy to find yet another close ally, one of the few people she considered a very close friend as well. They stared at each other for a few seconds before giving each other a small embrace.

Once they parted, Severa noticed that the Exalt's eyes were starting to tear up a bit, something that Lucina was quick to rid of with a hand.

"Gods, you look like you haven't seen me in forever..." Severa teased a bit.

"Severa, I haven't seen you for almost a year," The bluenette's words caught the swordmaster off-guard. "Such a thing would make anyone worry and fear the worse."

Not wanting to believe such a thing, Severa gestured to wait. "Back up one second; year!? I have been here for only around a month! How could that possibly be the case..?"

Then again, Lucina's facial feature, skin, hair color, all of it was more radiant and healthier, the Exalt was even taller now; all of this proved that the royal wasn't lying.

"Ah, so it seems Robin's theory was correct after all," Lucina went into a small trance as she adapted a pose with her index finger touching her lips.

Severa raised an eyebrow, she has never seen the princess act in such a way; there was a different kind of aura surrounding her.

For some reason, it angered the swordmaster slightly. This odd emotion was something she was exposed to whenever Severa was compared to a particular someone.

"Hey, Lucina," Severa finally spoke up after sheltering her emotions away. "Who is this Robin you just spoke about?"

"Oh, apologies, explaining is a must, however, doing it here isn't appropriate," With a nudge of her head, Lucina led the way through the alleys. "We were gathering information here, which is why I was alone when we bumped into each other."

"Who the hell leaves the Exalt alone? Gah, the others totally don't take their jobs seriously... What if we need your Falchion for the Awakening Rite and you're out of commission?"

"Not so loud," Lucina warned without looking back. "That's our backup plan, something we hope never happens."

Severa noticed the strong grip Lucina had on her Falchion after saying that. "... Sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

"Worry not." Any further conversations died down, and only their echoing footsteps could be heard in the tight space they were traversing through.

However, Lucina took a sharp turn and stood before a wooden door that she opened, with a hand she told Severa to step inside.

The swordmaster didn't like the idea of going down a dark staircase but trusted their leader anyways. Once Lucina closed the door behind them, the staircase was pitch black; Severa stopped in her tracks until a wisp of light illuminated their path.

"You can cast magic now?"

Lucina simply nodded. "Only the basics, nothing too extreme."

Struck by an ill thought, Severa stood to the side as Lucina took the lead once more.

As the princess kept descending and getting further away, so did the light Lucina carried on her. This only made the swordmaster less determined to even try to follow; even the person she was supposed to protect outpaced her immensely now.

Lucina noticed the lack of footsteps beside her very own. "Severa?" She called out.

Not wanting to be a bother, Severa continued to move forward. "Belt got sort of loose, sorry about that."

The lie was successful, for Lucina simply nodded and continued onward, any further attempts at conversing were interrupted when they reached a door – light crept out of it.

As the women entered a dimly lit room – which really was just a bar – they heard a man complain.

"This thing is so sour!" Robin voiced out to the owner.

Said owner chuckled. "Don't worry lad, you won't regret it once you hit the seas."

"W-Who would have thought lime juice was this potent..."

While Robin did his best to drink the beverage, the owner noticed both visitors, particularly Lucina. "Ah, the lass is back,"

"If memories serve me right," Lucina tone was a bit dangerous. "I was told one didn't drink alcohol."

This made the tactician turn with a slightly panicked expression. "L-Lucina, no you got the wrong idea, this is simply a juice; nothing alcoholic in it."

The man who served Robin's drink backed him up with a nod. "Helps sailors whenever they head out to sea, the lad here told me he occasionally felt weak when out in the waters."

Lucina understood the situation but was quick to gesture with a hand that Severa was with her. "Mind if we speak in private?"

Without asking any further questions, Robin excused himself and followed the women up the stairs that led into the building above ground.

Once they entered a fairly large dorm, their tactician spoke up. "So, I assume this is another friend of yours?"

"Correct, a very close one at that, her name is Severa-"

Finally deciding to cut in the conversation, Severa raised a hand. "Not to offend you or anything, Your Grace, but you're spilling the beans here a bit too much. Who even is this man?"

"This is Robin, someone who has been a massive help in my journey."

Robin held out a hand for a shake. "A pleasure, don't worry, I know everything already."

With a raised eyebrow, Severa returned the gesture. "That name is rather familiar..,"

This made the tactician chuckle. "Oh, that? Maybe you can blame that on everyone who speaks of the Shepherds."

At first, the swordmaster had no idea what he was talking about, however, things fell into place once Severa remembered where she heard the name.

"You're kidding me!" Her shout made the tactician flinch. "You're the same Robin that was Ylisse's Grandmaster?"

Rubbing the back of his skull, Robin stood there with a nervous smile. "Not exactly..? I mean, Robin is indeed my name, but I'm not Ylisse's renowned Grandmaster; just the Shepherds tactician for now."

Now, this was something that caught Severa off-guard, so much so, that for the first time in awhile, words failed to escape the maiden's mouth.

Only when Lucina spoke up did the conversation advance. "Many things have changed from the original timeline, for example, Chrom has yet to accept the title of Exalt as well."

"Wait, so does that mean, Exalted Peace survived?" The swordmaster was asking about Emmeryn.

To this, Lucina glanced slightly down while shaking her head. "Time found a way to restore itself... Allow us to explain what has transpired."

* * *

 _Location: North-West Regna Ferox._

Steel colliding with each other rang through the air, for two individuals fought each other in a rather one-sided sparring lesson.

In this case, Kjelle was fighting Liam, the same man that protected his local village from bandits without hesitation.

With the help of some bargaining, Kjelle managed to convince the blonde man to aid her in some actual combat.

Noire was also there, albeit observing, she was the first to notice that the knight had no chance of winning against Liam's skillful swordplay.

At one point, he managed to topple over the knight with a well-placed round kick.

"Focus on using your shield more," Liam instructed. "That's literally all ya got, no point in carrying it around if it's useless."

Kjelle was gasping for air as she took a stance.

Liam simply continued to attack her relentlessly, he showed no signs of fatigue even after an hour of training.

However, old habits die hard, and Kjelle was just too keen on attacking with her spear and barely taking advantage of the massive shield.

Over, and over, Liam kept punishing this habit with precise counters – after knocking the knight flat – he retreated.

"Ignoring my advice isn't getting you anywhere, kid," He continued. "An armored up knight like yourself is slow, and they need to abuse their armor more than anything, it's all you got out there... Not only that, if you fall, it'll put everyone behind you at risk – you're the wall that keeps them safe – failure isn't an option."

Kjelle glared at the man, as much as she wanted to argue, part of their deal was that she wasn't allowed to speak at all during their training regimen. This was merely done for Liam's sanity and being able to tolerate the stubborn knight.

"Kjelle," His eyes narrowed. "One precise counter is all you need in order to win, your shield isn't there for show, it is there so you can get said strike."

And with that, the blonde haired man turned and started walking over to a nearby house.

"Ugh, he annoys me so damn much!" Kjelle shouted once her tutor left.

Noire decided to encourage the knight. "Y-Yeah, but he has a point, and you're getting better at anticipating certain attacks."

"What the hell does he know!? All I ever needed a shield for was getting suckers out of my face, but this dastard just keeps using it as an obstacle against me-"

Sudden realization washed over the knight's face, which made Noire stare at her with curiosity.

"An obstacle..," Kjelle uttered softly while deep thoughts prevented her from speaking.

Not wanting to interrupt, Noire simply stood nearby in silence, for it seems Kjelle found out what was missing in her combat style.

"Hey, Noire, help me out for a bit here – try practicing what Liam taught you as well."

"O-Oh, sure, if you insist." The timid assassin walked over with a bronze sword in hand.

Unlike Kjelle, Noire was easily Liam's favorite student; mostly due to her incredible ability in copying someone with ease after going through a detailed observation.  
However, Liam did make sure to tell Noire to try and adopt her own type of fighting style; which is the reason why Kjelle would train with the assassin after their tutor left for the day.

As the duo trained against each other, there was a hidden observer. Unaware of his presence, Liam was peeking from a corner; watching how they were holding up.

He never had any children, but that didn't mean he was never interested in having them. Sadly, whatever divine being out there didn't agree with such a desire; Liam's heart wrenched at such a thought.

"... Doing this for her is painful," His longing eyes looked up into the sky, secretly whispering a praying. "Those kids have potential though, hope they grow up to be strong, able to protect those nearby... Unlike myself."

* * *

 _Location: Mercenary Fortress' Territory, Shoreline._

The next day was quite the busy one for the small group heading over to the Mercenary Fortress, things only slowed down to a comfortable pace once they reached the island and Robin's feet touched the shoreline.

"Finally, land!" Said tactician was about to tear up.

Lucina simply shook her head. "Was it really that bad?"

"Those waters were insane, Lu!" He defended himself while turning to glare at her with a serious expression. "I thought we weren't going to make it, we shall never try to pilot that thing by ourselves ever again!"

Severa heard the complaining and decided to step in. "Oh quit your yapping and man up, we did just fine without a captain."

A deadpanned expression appeared on Robin's face. "None of you understand my pain-"

"N-No, I completely agree with Robin," Yarne backed him up. "That boat was ready to tip over, and I don't know how to swim either!"

Upon seeing that Yarne felt the same way, for some reason, Robin felt ashamed of himself. Not that he was going to say that out loud of course.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Lucina took the lead for now. "The fortress is said to be behind that hill ahead of us; any strategies as to how we shall tackle it, Robin?"

"No doubt they spotted our ship," He replied. "So we should go for a frontal assault for now; while being wary of our positioning. From what I can tell, this place lacks any real cover besides the fort, so they shouldn't be able to sneak up on us while outside."

"Very well, let us march ahead then."

Being the leader Lucina was born to be, her allies followed without hesitation, giving Robin the long-awaited opportunity to finally fall back to the comfortable role of being a tactician.  
While being looked up to as the commander was fun the first few days, Robin quickly realized that he wasn't too comfortable with it, so he was glad to have Lucina take charge just like Chrom did.

During their small travel time, Robin ended up walking next to the princess; who slowly brought up a topic.

"Robin, if you don't mind me asking; why did you stay behind during our investigations back at the town?"

To this, he pointed at his hair. "Brings too much attention from what I've seen. Something is up, the more we travel in the heart of Plegia, the more people start staring at me."

"I have not noticed such a thing... Have you found any real clues as to why?"

"Not really, maybe its just a weird hair color," Robin paused for a bit before chuckling.

This caught Lucina's curiosity, so she ended up asking what was so funny.

"Nothing, I was just thinking that maybe dying my hair would help."

"What!? But I like your hair-" Lucina cut herself off upon realizing what she said. "I m-mean, it's.., a unique color."

Not expecting such an answer nor reaction, Robin looked at the bluenette as if she had said something crazy. However, Lucina was quick to face away, no doubt she was blushing.

Slowly, the tactician's heartbeat started raising. "Err.., I was merely joking Lucina," He looked away as well while rubbing the back of his head.

The odd behavior didn't go unnoticed by the two other members trailing behind the duo, especially Severa, who found herself staring.

"Hey, Yarne, have they been acting like that since you reunited with our Exalt?"

Said Taguel pondered for a bit before nodding. "Somewhat, they just look like close friends to me."

"... I know we didn't talk much back then – due to us being in different squadrons – but I can assure you that Lucina is acting differently."

"Really? W-Well, I'm not one to judge, like you said, I wasn't around her Grace as much as you."

Severa continued her glare, now it was directed at the tactician himself, who started talking with the royal once more; his words managed to make Lucina laugh, a rare sound that Severa heard for the first time since Grima's resurrection.

 _'I need to speak with Lucina in private whenever I get the chance...'_ Such thoughts soon vanished once the fortress came into view.

As the group stood in front of the building, they were greeted by a few mercenaries, which Robin took as an invitation to speak up.

"Greetings," The tactician said, while the mercenaries responded with a nod of acknowledgment. "We've come to speak with your leader."

One of the men spoke up. "Got some job for us or somethin'?"

Going with the flow of things, Robin nodded. "Indeed, we're willing to pay well."

The guards look at each other for a bit before agreeing, mentioning to Robin's group that they should follow and come inside. Due to not wanting to act suspicious, both Lucina and Robin followed without hesitation – much to Yarne's dismay.

Upon entry, the group was astonished at how large the fortress truly was, even the halls were wide enough to fit three armored knights shoulder to shoulder. No doubt their defensive advantage would cause an issue if both groups ended up in a fight, especially since Robin's force was much smaller.

At one point, they entered – what Robin assumed – the main lobby, countless mercenaries were talking to each other and feasting on wooden tables spread across the room.

This was the perfect opportunity for Severa to scan the room, clearly in search of someone.

"You folks stay here while we alert the boss of your arrival," The guard escorting them announced before leaving the group unintended in the large room.

Almost instantly, Robin whispered into Lucina's ear. "I don't like where this is going, this is obviously a trap... Who in the world says: alert our boss of your arrival? As if they were expecting us in the first place."

"I know, but we need to figure out who this new leader is," Lucina responded in kind. "However, you're right, our current position isn't ideal... On our way here, there was yet another hallway to the left, no doubt it'll be used to ambush us."

As the two conversed and started coming up with a strategy, they failed to notice Severa wander off to a nearby table.

"Hey," She spoke to a mercenary, who turned to give her a stink eye. "Have you heard of a man called Holland?"

"Holland?" The large man simply shrugged. "Not really, but you probably talkin' bout a new guy or somethin'."

Severa nodded. "He's new alright, so I was hoping to find him here."

"Hmm, is that so?" Before continuing the mercenary stood up and shouted the name of the man in question.

This, of course, made everyone in the room turn as Severa flinched. However, it seemed to work, for a chair scraping the marble floor was heard; Holland had stood up with a surprised look on his face.

"Get your arse over here, seems like this lady wants ya," This made everyone in the room laugh before they resumed whatever they were doing.

Severa – while embarrassed – maintained her serious mask as Holland approached.

"Severa? What are you doing-"

"Oh shut it, I can say the exact thing," The swordmaster crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You shouldn't be here, not when Aruba needs you."

Almost instantly, the villager's eyes lit up. "Aruba..? Did something happen to her!?"

"Of course something happened!" Her masked suddenly shattered, Severa's serious expression turn into fury. "Your wife is _pregnant_ , Holland! You're fully aware of this and I shouldn't need to remind you. Come with us and return to the village."

"... I can't Severa, I need to feed both of those mouths somehow... If I don't earn Nelson's coins, they'll both starve; even if its blood money, I must do it for them."

"Stop making up excuses already!"

Ignoring the odd looks the duo were receiving, Severa continued to argue back.

"I know life is difficult, and that the pressure of a parent is intense; making you do crazy stuff just for the sake of your child... But have you ever stopped to consider how your kid would feel? What if you never come home and they never get to grow up with a father?"

"Of course I consider it!" Holland raised his voice. "And its none of your concern either, just because we took you in, doesn't mean you're apart of the family."

Those words managed to sting a little, but the Swordmaster was expecting such retaliation. "I don't care if it concerns me or not, but I do know what you're doing is wrong. This world's got far too many kids who have experienced the loss of a parent, something no one deserves to go through!"

Severa looked down, her hand gripping the handle of her killer-edge as she spoke.

"... I should know; because I went through it," She looked up into his softening eyes. "If you stay, you'll be killed or worse; your child deserves better."

"S-Sev, I didn't know... That must have been hard for you," Holland looked down in shame.

"Do you love them?" Severa asked. "Because I'm sure they both need you by their side."

Something inside the man clicked into place; as if the clouds disrupting his mind disappeared in an instant. "You're right, both my child and Aruba deserve better; they deserve my undying love of a proud father and husband... Severa, let's get out of here."

This made the swordmaster smile brightly, she was truly happy to hear those words. "Really?!"

"Yes, really. We need to hurry though, before Nelson-"

"I'm afraid that won't happen," A voice – with a heavy accent not seen in Plegia – boomed out in the room, everyone turned to face the owner. "You know very well that loyalty is the most important thing here, Holland."

The outburst the two had, had drawn a ton of attention, no doubt everyone in the fortress was listening to their conversation.

However, Robin and Lucina took it as a prime opportunity to come up with a plan, which was finished just in time before Nelson's appearance.

"As for you," Nelson looked at Robin. "Heh, oh I've heard many things about you. Was made great promises as well."

Trying his best to ignore Nelson's creepy smile, Robin backed away with his allies covering his back. "Hey now, we can talk this out."

The sadistic leader wasn't so keen on agreeing to such terms. "I rather not, for you see, capturing you will only serve to indulge me in great riches."

 _'Yup, this man is completely crazed!'_ Robin screamed internally. _'His appearance just screams Grimleal! Why are they so damn crazy and creepy? Why are they all obsessed with something!? Dear Naga, he has a skull on top of his staff, that can't be sanitary nor sane!'_

Even though the tactician looked calm on the outside, his interior was entering full panic mode.

Lucina noticed this and started shaking him back to reality. "Robin, the mercenaries are starting to get into position."

Upon exiting his trance, Robin started giving them simple orders, a tactical retreat in other words. While the tactician used his spells to keep the mercenaries – in front of them – at bay, Severa and Yarne fought any foes trying to sneak up from behind.

Holland was being protected by the princess herself, for the conversation between him and Severa had moved Lucina greatly. Soon enough, the group exited the fortress, whether it was from brute force or sheer luck, it didn't matter for now; they all started running back to the shoreline.

"R-Robin, they're right behind us!" Yarne shouted in his transformed state, he was carrying Holland on his back.

As they ran down a rocky road, Robin realized that getting the ship into the water and setting sail would take too much time if they simply kept running.

The tactician grit his teeth and jumped forward to halt himself before turning around abruptly. "Everyone, get to the boat this instant!"

Almost all of them kept going, but the tactician was expecting one individual to not follow his orders.

Lucina positioned herself next to the white-haired man, causing Robin to just smile and shake his head. The plegian didn't even try to argue with the princess, he knew when Lucina's mind was set in stone, her mere presence showed that.

Before the duo was a large squadron of fighters. They were charging, showing no signs of stopping, determined to end their lives should Robin allowed it.

However, that's as far as they went. Because Robin would never allow such an event to occur, not after losing Lucina once already.  
The tactician's eyes glanced over to the princess; somehow it calmed him to have her there. Ironic, due to how he never got along with the Lucina of his world.

By now, the mercenaries were getting too close for comfort, which Robin responded by slashing his hand horizontally.

This motion summoned a magical gate at the side of the road, a strong tailwind – makeshift barrier – appeared and prevented the enemy's advance.

"Lucina, while we fight-"

"We shall steadily retreat." She cut him off as Falchion was unsheathed.

Robin nodded and unsheathed his spear swiftly, the current objective; survival.

"Keep an eye out as to where I'm backing up to, Lucina."

Once those last words left Robin's mouth, the magical wall disappeared and their foes charged forth. A sword-wielding Mercenary and a Berserker were up first.

Without so much of a delay, Lucina _Galeforced_ over to the Berserker, her fluid movements took out the foe without any issues before she retreated behind Robin.

The tactician intercepted the Mercenary, Robin's strikes were powerful but calculated, this led to a perfectly placed parry that left his foe wide open for Lucina's attacks.

More enemies charged at the duo, but they didn't falter, for Robin's precise counters kept allowing Lucina to finish them off swiftly one by one.

However, as resilient as the two were, a large group wasn't easy to defeat; Lucina was starting to urge Robin to back away more and more. Losing ground rapidly meant their balance will falter soon enough for backpedaling.

" _Over here you hogs!_ " Severa's voice was heard from behind, and before Robin could see where exactly she was, the swordmaster jumped off his shoulders.

The red-haired maiden landed in the center of the fight, astonishing those unprepared for what came next.

Five green after images of Severa appeared, they formed a circle and charged forward, taking out an equal amount of foes.

 _'That was Astra!'_ Robin snapped out of his surprised state and charged in, for the tides of battle had completely turned in their favor.

Lucina wasn't slowing down either, she backed Severa up; while their tactician provided support by disrupting the enemy lines with spells.

As the battle turned into a blitz of chaos, the Shepherds started slowing down due to exhaustion, there was simply too many foes; trying not to kill them all was also not helping.

"Lucina, Severa!" Robin charged up a spell once his flanks were clear. "Get behind me, now!"

Once both the girls retreated, Robin clasps his hands together before extended both of them forward. A lengthy circle appeared underneath the road, only two feet ahead from the tactician.

"We should be near the required position..." His eyes glanced to the side, the sea was in view.

Everyone in its range looked down as the emerald glow increased in its intensity, while the wind was starting to pick up on the outer layer of the sigils, trapping everyone inside its grasp.  
Robin's mind was racing, constantly thinking of sparing all those within his spell. If his concentration was shattered for even a split second, the results weren't going to be pretty.

 _"Heed my command..,"_ His voice echoed and the winds lifted up the mercenaries. _"Excalibur!"_

Such a force was enough to send them all flying, but it wasn't a simple updraft, for Robin commanded the tornado to bend at the eye; launching his foes towards the nearby sea.

Lucina and Severa looked on in awe, and the remaining enemy forces didn't dare move.

"Face me and I'll make sure to blow every single one of you away!" The tactician shouted at the other men.

His bluff was enough, for the mercenaries didn't advance. Except for one individual that happened to follow the commotion.

"Oh, a magic user as well?" Nelson's voice could be heard from behind his troops, and soon enough, the sell-swords moved out of their commander's way. "And such power.., hehe, I see why I'll be paid immensely."

"Who is paying you!" Robin demanded answers.

"That's something that only concerns me, not you." Nelson tapped the ground with his staff, crimson sigils underneath his feet appeared.

Such a sly answer made the Shepherd frown. _'I need to distract this guy, or at the very least, injure him so he won't attack our boat with a fire spell or something.'_

"Tell me, do you fear death, my prey?"

"... Severa, Lucina, stay back." Robin braced himself for any incoming attack, already conjuring a counterspell.

The Sage pointed his staff at the tactician; Robin saw the sigils move at rapid speeds across the road until it was underneath him.

Eyes widening in surprise, Robin jumped to the side as fire erupted from the ground, at the same time Robin tossed an Elthunder at the mage.

However, the spell was intercepted by Nelson's own magic. "You're pathetic; _Thoron!_ "

Due to the tactician's current position, he was forced to block the spell with a barrier of wind.

"Nelson uses Fire and Electricity..," Robin gasped out and prepared a spell mentally. "Right, I have the advantage then."

Swinging his spear horizontally, Robin summoned forth a blade of wind, forcing the Sage to block with a shield of fire; something the tactician took advantage of by conjuring a Thoron into existence.

A smirk appeared on the shepherd's face as he watched his spell pierce the barrier and land a clean hit on his foe. However, that grin disappeared from Robin's face once he realized Nelson didn't fall from such an attack.

"Oho, that attack held quite the punch... Maybe I would've been seriously injured if it wasn't for this talisman I carry."

To demonstrate that he wasn't lying, Nelson revealed a necklace.

"Great," Robin grumbled out, he pointed a finger and summoned another Thoron. "Now I need to put more effort into hurting you!"

The Grimleal returned a Thoron of his own, both spells collided and exploded on impact, creating a large smokescreen between both casters.

While the dust cleared itself naturally, Robin breathed in and out heavily. _'Hang in there.., just one more hit; that Talisman can only absorb two spells before shattering...'_

As Nelson finally came into view, Robin straightens his posture in order to hide his fatigue.

More magic was tossed at the tactician, albeit very weak for some odd reason, almost as if the Sage lost all of his mana during their small break.

Either way, Robin avoided the attacks swiftly while charging up another spell; all before sending a decoy Wind-Attack.

Due to the prior results, Nelson defaulted in dodging the spell this time; Robin expected as much and snapped his fingers.  
Instantly, a magical gate appeared above the unaware Sage; numerous lightning-bolts crashed down from above and shocked the man during his evade.

Screams of agony left the Grimleal's mouth, but once the spell halted, it was shown that Nelson didn't suffer grave injuries.

"Surprised you're still standing," Robin taunted with a smirk. "You got hit by two Elthunders there, I'm sure you didn't feel that much pain for half of it though."

"... Heh.., hehe..," Nelson reached towards his necklace – it was scorched black – he tore it off and threw it away.

"Aw, you could have kept it and attempted to bluff that it still worked."

"S-Shut up..," Nelson grumbled out as a dark aura emerged and surrounded him. "I don't want to hear such words from the fool who has yet to notice my trap."

As Robin raised an eyebrow, Lucina warned him from behind. "Robin, the ground is heating up!"

"Wha-!?" He ate his words as the ground started to shake violently.

Cracks in the road started emitting a bright crimson glow, and the temperature was raised at an extreme level.

Nelson's voice echoed throughout the field. _"Your souls will be incinerated; Bolganone!"_

Robin aimed a hand at the ground. _"Elwind!_ "

The gust of wind launched the tactician high into the air, but at the same time, an eruption of magma pursued him. As the tactician's momentum slowed, he pointed a finger at the Anima-Spell heading his way.

 _"Thoron!"_ Said spear of light pierced the incoming attack, parting the pillar of magma in two - causing it to spread uncontrollably to the sides - until reaching the Magical gate deeply inserted in the fire.

Lucina and Severa sprinted away in fear of being burnt to a crisp, all they could hear was the roaring explosion of two massive spells colliding against each other.

Due to the violent reaction, everyone near the radius was either blown away or knocked off their feet, meanwhile, Robin was launched even further at an angle.

Completely disorientated, Robin conjured one last spell as his body spiraled out of control horizontally – he was practically a rag-doll flying through the air.  
His eyes caught a glimpse of the ground, then the sky, once more the ground, another second went by and he saw the clouds.

 _"Elwind!"_ The spell was tossed directly at the beach down below once it was in view again, the force straighten his trajectory to a vertical ascent – soon turning into a free fall.

As Robin mustered the strength to summon one more gust of wind – to lighten his fall – his vision was starting to darken.

He ignored the signs of mana-exhaustion, forcing small sigils to appear.

Everything suddenly went pitch black, his spell fizzled out at the palm of his hand. _'I pushed m-myself too far this time, huh? haha... Damn it-'_ He fainted before hitting the ground.

 _ **...**_

As the tactician flew over the heads of his comrades, Lucina had a look of horror before instincts kicked in at full gear.

 _Galeforce_ was activated at maximum capacity while running up a hill, the royal's world was a blur, only Robin remained clear in her sight. The speed at which Lucina went was enough to jump a considerable amount of distance when reaching the highest point possible.

"Robin!" Lucina caught him successfully, but her speed was far too great, and so the two headed straight into the nearby water.

Severa started running after them, for the mercenaries decided to take advantage of the situation once more.

Just ahead of her was the boat, it was already setting sail, but a rope was lowered for the Shepherds to latch onto while it was in movement.  
Holland had apparently started maneuvering the vessel once Yarne brought him over to safety, which meant the ship had enough momentum to fight the tidal waves and escape to the open sea.

Lucina dragged the unconscious tactician through the water, while Yarne jumped down to aid her.

Meanwhile, Severa ran through a couple of strong waves – much to her discomfort – before grabbing one of the ropes and hanging on for dear life. While the swordmaster climbed up, she looked back and saw her pursuers giving up the chase, much to everyone's relief.

Practically dragging herself up to the deck, Severa plopped down on the wooden flooring while gasping. Her eyes spotted an exhausted Yarne – who mimicked Severa's actions – and a fairly worried princess as she attempted to wake up Robin.

While the sails did provide some shade, their constant movement made some sunlight creep through and hit the swordmaster in the eyes, causing her to give up and close them for now.

Only voices could be heard, specifically Lucina's worried tone. "Hang in there, Robin! Yarne, bring some water, he's heating up."

Wood creaked under the shift of weight, no doubt the Taguel stood up to fetch the liquid.

Severa's breathing was calming down, but she didn't feel like moving an inch yet, that fight cost her more energy than she originally thought.

"This is what I get for not training during my stay with Aruba..," She uttered softly to herself. "At least Holland is alright."

One of her eyes opened to glance at the wheel, where Holland stood, he had an intense look on his face – completely focused on the task at hand.

 _'I better not receive any sass when I return, Aruba... You owe me big time! This was way too much of a hassle.'_

The swordmaster's energy was too spent, she closed her eyes for now and lost track of time.

* * *

 _Location: Plegian Western-Town._

While sitting in a dimly lit room, Lucina could only sit in silence as she made sure to keep Robin's fever in control.

She was holding a staff in hand, a tool that failed to help the tactician's recovery. Eyes were filled with concern, while her mind was in a frenzy, unable to think of a solution.

Unaware of the door opening, Lucina remained seated, only when Severa greeted the princess did she acknowledged her presence.

"So, how is he holding up?"

"... His fever is mildly high, fortunately."

The swordmaster sat at the edge of the bed. "Same symptoms as Laurent when he exhausted his mana, he should be alright after a good rest."

"Mmm." Lucina barely made a sound of agreement, which threw the red-head off.

With a loud sigh, Severa spoke up with a softer tone than usual. "Don't blame yourself alright? We aren't in the future, we have supplies and medicine at the ready, he's in a comfortable warm bed as well."

After a few seconds of silence, Lucina managed to smile. "Old habits die hard, or so they say... I was never one to like seeing others in pain, let alone sick due to pushing themselves too far."

"Pfft, that's rich coming from you!" Severa laughed out. "Lucina, you were the main reason Gerome and I had to stress ourselves out! Like, I remember that one time you didn't eat for almost an entire week.., man, I always wondered where you got all that endurance from."

Unable to defend herself, Lucina blushed at such remarks, which only fueled Severa's laughter.

"Oh just leave, Sev!" Lucina finally raised her voice. "You're going to wake up Robin."

The swordmaster, while still giggling softly, got up and walked towards the door, but before she exited, Severa turned and gave the princess a – very rare – truthful smile.

"I missed you, Lucina... I don't think I have had the chance to say that. So yeah, glad to see you're safe; guess I owe Robin for that."

Before the bluenette could respond to such a thing, Severa left and closed the door, leaving the former to her own thoughts once more.

 _'Robin is extremely strong... but, I let that confidence blind me, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that the tactician would win.., and yet he was caught off guard – Nelson caught both of us off guard – I should have charged in and finished the man off myself.'_

Lucina looked down at her lap, hands clenching her pants, which she loosen the grip of once realizing her increasing anger – that was directed at herself.

Ever since the pair spent time together at the previous festival, Lucina had come to terms with her own emotions, she wasn't blind to them, mostly due to a certain pegasus knight – and swordmaster – constantly talking about romantic affairs.

Nor was she a young teen to simply ignore and brush them off as a small crush. Lucina knew she had developed feelings for the man that was currently bed-ridden.

A sigh escaped her lips while she relaxed in her seat.

"... I'm so exhausted that I don't even feel embarrassed..."

She stared up at the ceiling, a sight she grew accustomed, due to the night she couldn't sleep upon realizing where her heart attached itself to. Maybe somewhere down the line, she felt it sooner but turned a blind eye towards it, either way, Lucina already spent a restless night deciding on what to do about said feelings.

"I won't tell him..," Her duty was above all else, anything else was merely a distraction. "Even so, saying such a thing pains me greatly..."

Instinctively, a hand gripped her chest, as her heart was aching at such a revelation.

The princess looked at the tactician's face, her eyes pleaded for him to awaken, to tell her she was wrong; that she could – just this once – get what she wants.

However, just like any other desperate wish, it didn't come true...

* * *

 **AN: Alright! This one got a delay simply because I kept getting new ideas... Like, I would finish it right? But then I would get some new details here and there, and before I knew it, my time was up and I was like: better not rush this one.**

 **As you can probably see - maybe even hate my guts - the ending is why I didn't want to rush things.  
**

* * *

 ** _Sidenotes:_**

 ** _Lucina's emotions:_** Trust me when I say I read all of the supports, dialogue, texts, and any other piece of info out there countless times. She may be a tad shy, and alien to some emotions, but Lucina is definitely smart and knows when they exist; all while being composed during matters of love. She even takes the lead and confesses to Inigo herself, if you pair those two together.

I like the shy route that people tend to put her in, but, I just rather see her limiting herself due to a sense of duty before anything else. Plus, she's a young woman at this stage, so making her act like a high schooler isn't my intention, she's a soldier.

 ** _Magic Trinity_** : I realized I wasn't really expanding on the whole magic scene ever since I described the Waste spell, so I decided to show my flavors in this chapter. All while making the Magic Triangle actually affect the flow of combat greatly as it should.

 _ **Talismans & potentially other boosting items:**_ They now work differently, since this is not a game, they'll work as additional tools, as you saw in this chapter; instead of increasing resistance by two points, Talismans can protect the user from spells, albeit not completely.

 ** _Vengence_** : The skill was indeed used by Nelson this time around! Hopefully, it showed how powerful a spell can be under its influence.

 _ **Severa's reunion with Holland** :_ While I like the original, I wanted to give a different light to the situation, basically a worthy reason as to why Severa would go out of her way to help someone; their conversation was also altered for more impact, hope you guys enjoyed it.

 ** _Someone's birthday_** : is coming up very soon, at the moment, I want to celebrate it; maybe a short one-shot?

If not a one-shot, how about a small celebration moment in this very story? Also, if it does stay in this very story, things will be limited due to the flow of the events and plots.

However, I can't promise a quality filled one-shot either, time only allows me to make one fairly decent story at a time.

* * *

 **As for my final words:**

 **Thank you for the support everyone.**

 **I read everyone's reviews and opinions the previous chapter, and I was super grateful for them; they will help me decide what to do, I just hope I'll continue to have everyone's support despite the decision I end up making.**

 ** _May we meet again, in the next chapter._**


	24. Chapter 24: Renewal

**Chapter 24: Renewal**

 _Location: Plegian Western Town._

A knock on the wooden door was heard before it creaked open, a Swordmaster with crimson-hair entered the moonlit room.

Severa's eyes could barely make out the figure of a princess sleeping on a chair, head leaned forward, resting on the bed that hosted an unconscious Robin.

 _'… Normally Lucina would wake up easily,'_ The swordmaster quietly walked over to a nearby desk, replacing yet again, the candle that withered itself out. _'Two days have gone by since our fight in the fortress; we have to move out soon before they find us.'_

During those passing days, the princess has been in complete withdrawal and thus exhausted herself by staying up late or barely eating.

Once Severa finished lighting up the candle, she decided it was best to leave and let the bluenette rest peacefully before their departure tomorrow morning.

The door was closed – indicating the girl's departure – which made Lucina stir in her sleep, she nuzzled the bed sheets before getting comfortable. Eyes opening slowly, her vision taking in the sight before her; Robin was still asleep but without a fever.

Unknowingly – or ignoring it – Lucina's grip on Robin's hand tighten a bit before she let herself drift off to sleep.

 ** _..._**

Upon sunrise, the Shepherds – alongside Holland – prepared the convoy for the journey ahead of them.

Watching them, was the owner of their small temporary hideout. "Best if all of ya watch out now," He reminded them with a brave smile. "Tell Gregor he still owes me a drinking challenge!"

Lucina nodded in kind. "Of course, and thank you for the hospitality." She jumped into the driver's seat and took a hold of the reins. "Is everyone prepared back there?"

"Yeah," Severa responded. "Let's get going already."

The horses were sent in motion, and soon enough, the Shepherds were moving down the fairly empty road at a rather hurried pace.

Due to Nelson revealing a force looking for Robin, they were all on edge, especially the time travelers who always took the Grimleals very seriously.  
Severa, a day ago, announced that a few mercenaries were indeed asking the civilians for descriptions fitting of their group, enforcing their reasoning to not wait and press on towards the safety of Regna Ferox.

And with that, Severa showed the princess which direction Holland's village was located, which was luckily near the path they were taking to Ferox.

"Well, now that we have the time," Severa – who was next to Lucina – spoke up. "I have a few questions, Your Grace."

"Questions?" Lucina turned to look at her with a quizzical look before averting her gaze to the road.

"Yes... Now listen will ya? I don't intend to repeat myself."

Sitting in silence, Lucina didn't show any signs of discomfort with the idea, but then again, she wasn't showing many emotions in general as of late.

"... You're acting exactly the same as how I knew you," Severa finally spoke out. "Which is honestly bad, even if you were creeping me out when we reunited."

Those words caught Lucina off guard; she turned to look at the Swordmaster; Severa kept her gaze to the side of the road.

"Pardon? I don't quite follow, Severa."

"Told you, I ain't repeating myself; just cheer up already, I much prefer our leader having their head high, guess you spoiled me already." Unknowingly to the princess, Severa wore a small smile. "He'll be fine, don't let it get to you."

A few seconds went by as the royal processed what her ally just said, despite being confused at first, the puzzled expression Lucina wore turned into a bittersweet one.

"My apologies, Severa," She continued. "I am merely tired and filled with concern, perhaps a good rest is in order."

"Let me handle the reins," Severa quickly offered. "I know how to get to Holland's place after all."

After a small internal debate with herself, Lucina agreed with the offer; once Severa had a grasp on the leather, the princess made way towards the back.

Yarne and Holland were simply sitting across from one another, they were both staring off into the distance behind the wagon itself.

However, Lucina didn't greet them, she simply moved over to a secluded area that sheltered an unconscious Robin. His face was stuck in a permanent frown, which concerned the bluenette even more; especially since past experiences with such an issue weren't good.

Laurent had gone through this type of issue twice, but he was insanely lucky, for the mage said that not many can wake up from a mana-exhausted state.  
In fact, the younger Shepherds have witnessed many mages push themselves to the limit – due to lack of tomes – and never awaken ever again after falling unconscious.

As per usual, the princess checked Robin's vital signs; everything seemed normal for now.

"How is he?" Holland suddenly asked.

"Better, a lot better actually," Mustering a brave smile, Lucina reassured – mostly herself – the villager.

This made the man chuckle. "You remind me of myself when Aruba – my wife – got hit by morning sickness... I was just constantly worried about her well-being, but at one point, I told myself she would be just fine."

Not quite understanding, Holland received a raised eyebrow, which prompted him to explain.

"You see, that wife of mine isn't the type to give up; this man right here certainly gives that aura as well, I just don't see him dying anytime soon."

Those words lifted Lucina's spirits. "Yes, I believe the same; yet the worries I have will never truly vanish."

"Well now, that's only natural when it comes between the two of you," Holland allowed himself to smile. "How long have you been together?"

Unaware of the true meaning behind Holland's question, Lucina answered with a simple response of a year.

"Oh? No wonder I feel a strong bond between the both of you... But I guess you're taking it slow, considering that I don't see a ring yet."

"... Ring..?" As those words left the princess' mouth, so did the realization of what he meant hit her. "U-Unacceptable, I didn't mean it like that at all! By a year, I was referring to our friendship, not that we were in a relationship."

While Lucina's face started heating up, Holland couldn't help but give her a knowing smile before leaving. "My apologies for the misunderstanding then." Was the last thing he said.

Now alone, the princess gazed at Robin. "... Has it been that obvious?" Only the sound of the wheels rolling across the road answered her question.

* * *

 _Location: Plegia, Holland's Home_ _._

"Aruba!" Holland shouted as he jumped off the wagon and approached the building. "Aruba, I'm back!"

As he went to open the door, it swung open and revealed a surprised woman. "H-Holland!? Heavens, you're back!"

They embraced each other warmly, showing their affection to one another, Holland by repeating how sorry he was; Aruba forgave him with a smile and welcomed her husband home.

Meanwhile, the Shepherds wore their own share of smiles, happy to see a reunited family, something that was considered a miracle back in their own timeline.

"Hehe, this is a great sight," Yarne commented.

Lucina nodded. "Indeed it is, I'm glad we were able to reunite them."

"Yeah, guess we're even now, Aruba!" Severa dismounted the convoy and walked over to the couple.

"C-Cherry, come here, I was worried about you as well!"

Caught off-guard, Severa was hugged by the ex-merchant as well. "H-Hey now, get-" She ate her words and decided to just go with it.

Once emotions were in check, and tears weren't being shed, everyone was welcomed inside by the happy family in order to eat a well-deserved meal, with the help of the many ingredients the convoy stored.

However, due to the fairly big demand for food, Aruba was told to sit and take a break while Lucina and Severa prepared the food themselves. This also gave Holland a chance to speak with his wife, setting their relationship on the right path once more.

"Severa, mind if you take over for a bit? I need to check up on Robin." Lucina excused herself momentarily.

The swordmaster simply uttered an "Uh-huh." For she was focusing on a rather delicate procedure.

Before leaving to Regna Ferox, they decided to stay for the day in order to keep a closer eye on the tactician's health, who was moved into the guest room shortly after unpacking a few items.

While the room was fairly small, it provided shelter from the harsh climate changes they would've faced while traversing the harsh desert. In case the night was too cold, there was a fireplace nearby as well.

As Lucina damped a cloth and placed it over Robin's forehead, something caught her attention when noticing the window that dimly lit the room.

A group of people was walking towards the village, the princess' eyes strained themselves, trying to make out who they were.

"... They are armed."

Before she could do anything, the front door of the house was opened. Lucina watched as Holland walked over to the convoy – most likely to retrieve something – but the man slowed down to a halt upon noticing the same group Lucina saw.

Suddenly the group parted, and revealed a coated individual with a staff – decorated with a skull – who summoned a magical gate.

Wasting no time, Lucina dashed out of the guest room and into the main lobby. "We're being attacked!" She shouted before exiting the building.

Holland – frozen in shock – was nailed by an Elthunder. He let out a scream of agony as he fell back by the force.

The Shepherds at this point have all came outside, with Aruba instantly running over to Holland – who was still alive, fortunately.

Nelson approached the wary trio. "Escaping is rather futile, Holland. A rat will always run to its hoard, only a matter of time till the hunters trace that rat's location."

The Grimleal gestured with a hand at his dozen or so servants, most of them wore dark robes, famously known as the cult's uniform.

Lucina stood protectively in front of her allies, her eyes glaring at the leader. "You're rather bold for confronting us after what you did."

"Do you really believe I fear a bounty head such as yourself?" Nelson's lips twisted upwards. "I just love how my deck of cards is beautifully arranged for a victory!"

The cult leader lifted his hands and praised the sky. "Just wonderful indeed! I'll ascend the throne just like I was promised!"

As Nelson started laughing uncontrollably, Severa couldn't help but wonder if he hit his head or something. "Your Grace, stand back and let Yarne and I handle these clowns!" The Swordmaster unsheathed her blade.

Yarne – despite looking fearful of the situation – looked at the room that sheltered Robin, then back at the Exalt that stood fearlessly against those that wanted their blood.

"I-I'm tired of being hunted down!" Said Taguel held his Beaststone high, encasing him in a bright light that morphed into a cracked boulder.

Aruba gasped in surprise as the stone shattered and revealed the power of a Taguel warrior. Some of the Grimleals backed away as well, unsure as to what they were up against.

Lucina took this opportunity to charged at Nelson. "I shall cut you down myself!"

Nelson summoned a barrier of fire, however, Lucina changed directions with the aid of Galeforce, taking down a nearby foe in a single strike instead.

"Open fire already, you damn fools!" Nelson shouted.

"Did you really think we were afraid of you?" Lucina questioned with a dull stare. "That we would simply surrender due to being out-numbered?"

One of the mages took aim at the princess; as they summoned a spell; Severa appeared in front of them and delivered a fatal blow, canceling their attack entirely.

Yarne charged in and avoided numerous attacks with his nimble maneuvers, the sandstone gave him fantastic grip, allowing him to change directions consistently with ease; giving him full access to the backlines.

Seeing this, Nelson was starting to worry; these Shepherds weren't holding back anymore.

Lucina continued her assault by dashing in and out, feinting the now panicking Cult-Leader, her words surrounding him as he attempted to make sense of the bluenette's attacks.

"I've lived in a world that is cruel and unfair for far too long, for that reason alone, I shall challenge fate itself!"

A shadow loomed from above, Nelson dodged out of the way before his skull was cut in two. "S-Stay away; _Thoron_!"

Lucina back flipped above the beam of light, her cape swirling to the side as the air shifted from the attack, she landed on a knee before continuing to sprint forward.

This forced Nelson to weave and dodge her attacks, at times, he would use his staff to deflect an incoming blow.

Greeted by an opening, the princess managed to kick Nelson in the chest, sending him off-balance as Lucina prepared the final blow via a lunge attack.

"This is the end for-" Lucina yelped in pain.

A strong wind blew the royal away, it was enough to send her hurling across the sand. Said princess forced herself to get up while looking at the attacker, a Grimleal who was laying on the ground – injured – had their hand raised, they soon went limp after doing so.

"Don't get distracted now!" Nelson's voice forced Lucina to dodge primitively, barely dodging a lightning bolt.

Before the royal could continue to move and kill the cult leader, Nelson suddenly pointed at a nearby villager – Aruba – who was treating a wounded Holland.

"Move and I'll make sure nothing is left of them!"

Lucina's allies heard this, and they halted their own movements, especially Severa. "Aruba!"

"Silence!" Nelson warned as he looked at the pair in danger. "I warned you Holland, those papers you filled out weren't just for show! You did specify where you lived, after all, ensuring one's loyalty is important."

Holland simply grunted as he lifted himself onto his elbows. "A-Aruba, run..." He whispered.

"No, absolutely not! They're going to kill you-"

"They'll kill us all anyway..." He interrupted with a frown. "Save the child.., they have their entire life ahead of them."

Upon saying that, Holland glanced at Severa, he knew that the girl would scold him for saying those words. However, a parent would never want to see their child in danger, let alone go through the risk of death.

Aruba closed her eyes shut and grit her teeth. "... F-Fool." She didn't want to tear up, not in a moment like this, so she got up and made a run for it.

"As if I'll let you escape!" Nelson took aim.

A magical gate appeared in front of Nelson – Lucina dashed and Falchion absorbed light – before Thoron was sent forth at an alarming speed.

However, a princess stood in its path, her sacred blade covered in a blue aura as she lunged forward against the spell.  
Lucina's war cry was drowned out by the roaring sound of thunder, everyone watched in astonishment as her blade parted the spell in two; both beams of light missed Aruba and hit their house instead.

Aruba halted and looked back in surprise.

As everyone dared not to move, Lucina stood tall, sparks of electricity wired down to her feet and discharged itself into the ground.

Severa was the first to notice something strange, even if the princess was still standing, her breathing was shaky; facial expression indicated pain and fatigue.

Thoron had managed to damage the bluenette, despite not being a direct hit. "You can't block electricity..." Severa grumbled out as she felt a cult member about to sneak up on her.

Given the opportunity, Severa slammed the back of her skull against the plegian's nose. The man grunted as she spun and slashed him down.

Nelson charged up a spell and took aim at the weaken princess. "I-I'll take you out with me!" He screamed out as Thoron manifested itself.

"Your Grace!" Severa shouted – given the distance and nature of the spell – it was too late for her to intercept the blow.

 _"Kill her now; Thoron!"_

Lucina's eyes widen as the beam of light slowly filled up her field of vision, until-

* * *

 _Location: Robin's dream?_

The tactician's eyes fluttered open, once more he woke up in an abandoned desert with a twilight colored sky.

Without doing any actual movements, Robin was suddenly standing up, facing towards a hooded figure.

Unlike before, the difference between the two was vast now, specifically, their coats, for Robin wore his Ylissean version.

"So you have found a purpose?" The figure asked calmly.

"Yes," Robin answered with no hesitation.

"You've been stuck here for two days now, Robin... Lie to me once more, and you'll be stuck yet another."

Despite this, the tactician didn't panic. "Is that why you've been showing me all those memories? Just so I'll admit to something you want to hear?"

"Indeed, those are fragments I have collected, which were engraved deep inside your consciousness; they must be acknowledged if you wish to grow stronger."

"Do you know why most of them have Lucina in it?" A slightly pained expression appeared on the Plegian's face, he knew the answer to that question.

"Because she's your deepest regret."

Robin scoffed at this. "You're merely saying what I already know, aren't you?"

"... That's correct, but sometimes your own voice is required to accept something."

"But why her!?" A vision of Lucina's death kept flashing in and out of existence. "W-We never got along to begin with..."

"Human emotions.., I do not care for them nor quite understand them."

There was a short pause before the figure continued; as if it was contemplating on speaking its mind or not.

"However, from my observation, they lend strength that shouldn't be possible..."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with Lucina..." He demanded an answer.

"That is quite simple, in your case, guilt must have overwhelmed you... Upon finally having a bond with this new child of light, the realization hit you in the sense that there could've been much more between both of you, in your prior life."

This was enough to leave the tactician speechless, he could feel a lump in his throat. Despite apparently winning against the fell-dragon, the Lucina he formerly knew, wouldn't get the chance to see the first sunrise that brought with it, everlasting peace.

Something that she sacrificed so much of her own lifespan to accomplish, going through hardships that would break any normal being and force them to give up.

"... Guilt, remorse, fear; these are your strongest emotions, Robin."

"Just shut up-"

"However," The being's voice ignored the ill comment and continued. "There is apparently one thing that has lent you unbelievable strength."

Robin simply looked at the being with a quizzical look, prompting it to continue.

"That remorse, while being strong, has turned to desire... And so I ask once more; what is your purpose, Robin?"

Above them both, the clouds started swirling, the land around them slowly shifted into something else entirely; their reality transformed.

Fully understanding why he was sent back to relive an experience he conquered, the following words were enough to change the vast desert into a field filled with white flowers, an endless blue sky overseeing it all.

"My purpose... Is to protect this world's only hope, to make things right and bring an ending I want! To make her smile and laugh, to apologize and be forgiven; Lucina is who I want to protect with my life!"

* * *

 ** _..._**

"Kill her now; Thoron!"

Nelson's attack was launched, everyone watched in horror as Lucina lacked the strength to dodge the incoming spell.

 _"... Rexcalibur."_

An emerald spiral of wind emerged and shielded Lucina from harm, the tornado proceeded to pick up sand and toss it outwards, blinding those near it.

Once the wind died down – alongside the sandstorm – everyone was able to see the caster.

Lucina's vision was still fuzzy, but she could easily make out a tactician's coat swaying under the desert's breeze. "... Robin, you're awake?"

The tactician turned to face her – he was not smiling – before approaching. Robin grabbed Lucina's chin and forced her to look to the side, revealing a freshly made mark on her cheek; product of Thoron zapping her skin.

His eyes narrowed as he let go. "Forgive me, for not being here sooner..." Robin finally uttered softly, so only she could hear.

"There is nothing to apologize for."

After hearing this, Robin turned to face the one responsible for all this. "I made a grave mistake in letting you live, Nelson."

"W-What..?" Said cult leader took a step back, afraid of the intense glare he was receiving. "H-How could you be so arrogant-"

"Me? Arrogant?" The tactician's voice was powerful, fitting for someone accustomed to commanding others. "Pick your next words wisely, Nelson... My patience is running thin, don't expect the same treatment that the former Exalt gave to the world."

Standing his ground, Nelson decided to take his chances and bark back. "You were barely a match for me, yet you dare act as if I didn't force a retreat!?"

"Did you not notice that I spared most, if not all, of your men? Think what would've happened if I didn't care about their lives – if I felt the same way as I do know – what would have transpired."

An intense aura could be felt around the white-haired plegian, the ominous malice was directed to the Grimleals, which they all felt at full force.  
Upon closer inspection, Nelson noticed that there was, in fact, a veil of light surrounding the tactician, it was dim but a mage could sense – and see – the concentrated mana quite easily.

"Flames..?" Nelson asked himself. "Am I seeing things? No, the faint embers are there..."

"Lucina," Robin suddenly spoke out. "Fight alongside me, I can't trust myself at the very moment, I rather not do something I'll regret later on."

Taking a deep breath – and having regained most of her strength – Lucina made way to stand beside Robin.

"You needn't ask, my blade is yours to command."

Finally, a smile appeared on his face. "Then my plan truly has a chance of achieving victory."

No words were exchanged between the duo; they charged in believing in each other to the fullest. To this, Grimleals and mercenaries alike attempted to intercept the duo; while Severa and Yarne continued their own battles.

In order to counter a few incoming Anima attacks, Robin conjured a few minor spells – strong enough – to deviate the incoming elements as he ran alongside Lucina.

The pair's first foe was an armored up mercenary, he ran up to Lucina and intercepted one of the princess' blows with his long arm shield.

Robin forced the _Hero_ to tumble with a spell, Lucina took advantage of this by continuing her assault.

While any common foe would've fallen against such tactics, this Mercenary was agile enough to keep up with the bluenette's attacks, a feat that was impressive by itself.

"Just die already!" Severa suddenly appeared and forced the plegian to block. "Leave this guy to me, get Nelson!"

"Right!" Lucina and Robin said in unison.

Severa smirked as she took a stance. "Think a shield is going to be enough to block all my attacks?"

"Tsk' as if I'll let you take away my life." The Hero responded as he pointed the tip of his sword at her, said blade was surrounded by an orange veil of light.

Knowing what she was up against, Severa seemingly multiplied – by using Astra – before going in for the first strike.

Meanwhile, as the previous duo reached the cult leader, Nelson started to panic; resorting to casting countless spells at them, something Robin wasn't going to allow for long.

"Lucina, don't slow down!"

Believing her tactician's words, Lucina prepared the final strike – Falchion once more shimmered with a blue glow.

"G-Get back you fools!" Nelson summoned a Thoron heading straight at her, but before it connected, a barrier of wind blocked it before dissipating both spells into a thin layer of smoke.

Out of pure reflexes, Nelson pulled out a dagger – Lucina appeared from within the smokescreen – in hopes of intercepting the next attack.

"You will not stop me!"

Lucina's war cry was followed up by a powerful two-handed strike, an attack that cut clean through the cultist's dagger; delivering a fatal blow to his chest in one swift motion.

As the crazed individual fell to their knees, he muttered his last words as Robin approached him.

"M-My throne... My Empire..."

"Is nothing but a delusional goal from an insane man..." Robin responded dryly, as Nelson collapsed to the ground face first.

A shout was heard. "The boss is dead!"

Such an alert halted everyone in their tracks; even Severa's foe, whom she failed to defeat in time.

"Guess we'll settle this some other time, Lass." The Plegian smirked.

Severa wiped some blood out of her left eye – she was cut above the eyebrow – before gritting her teeth in anger.

Without warning, the Grimleals summoned forth – pitch black – miasma; forcing the Shepherds to stay out of the way due to caution.

Once the unnatural fog cleared, there were no enemies in sight – not even Nelson's corpse – a relief to all.

Lucina – who prayed momentarily for the lost lives – lowered Falchion and sheathed it, she turned to face a frowning tactician, who stared at the sky.

"Robin?"

He didn't respond to her voice, not right away at least. "This isn't a dream right?" The tactician finally asked.

"... Pardon?" With a tilt of her head, Lucina showed her usual body language.

This somehow reassured the Plegian, causing him to chuckle. "I was dreaming the entire time I was asleep I guess; pretty crazy stuff."

"We were all extremely worried..."

With a nod, Robin gave her a quick apology before asking a question. "How long have I been out cold?" He most likely knew the answer but wanted to make sure everything he learned wasn't false.

"Two entire days, and half of this one," Lucina confirmed and washed away the tactician's doubts.

A sigh escaped the tactician's lips, he then allowed himself to fall to his knees. This activated Lucina's instincts to help him immediately.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling ill again, Robin?" She knelt next to him, a hand on his shoulder with a face expressing great concern, coupled with fear.

"J-Just tired and shaken up... You see, when I woke up, a beam of lightning broke the window and zoomed past my head – not the greatest way to wake up ya know?"

He was referring to the Thoron Lucina prevented from hitting Aruba.

"You're exhausted, yet you still fought. Robin, you must take proper care of your body..."

"Hey now," He gave Lucina a smile. "How can I sit back and let them try to harm you?"

"There is no need to guard me, especially if the reasoning is due to my heritage-"

Upon being told this, Robin wore a very serious look before responding. "That isn't why I protected you."

With just merely her eyes, Lucina asked him countless questions; mostly she wanted him to elaborate the meaning behind his words, her heart starting to beat faster as well.

Knowing that she wanted answers, the tactician teased her with a grin. "The reason behind-"

"Oi, you two going to help us clean up this mess or what!?" Severa shouted – clearly annoyed – from the ruined house.

As if knowing this would happen, Robin stood up. "Guess that topic is for another day!" He lent a hand to the confused – and slightly embarrassed – princess.

"... Just make sure to rest, for now, Robin." Lucina took his hand, allowing the tactician to pull her up.

"Of course your highness."

"Please, don't tease me so, tolerating the others calling me their grace is already tasking."

To this, Robin laughed, he was happy to be back on his feet again; glad to see everyone safe; proud of himself for being there for Lucina just in the nick of time.

Their next destination would be the frigid climates of Regna Ferox, a region that will hopefully shelter them from any further Grimleal attacks.

* * *

 **AN: Looks like I'm at a steady pace for now! Things are starting to spice up, some feedback would be nice for this; likes or dislikes are completely fine and welcomed here. That's the only way I can continue to improve after all!  
**

* * *

 _ **Sidenotes:**_

 **Only putting this one:**

The dream section is important, things were left vague on purpose, one thing I can assure is that Robin was indeed trapped inside that limbo for the entire time he was unconscious.

* * *

 **For now, however, my gratitude for the support is everlasting; thus my effort has been increased for this schedule I have in mind, next chapter might be this upcoming Monday or on the  (Release date: April 9th, 2018)**

 _ **May we meet again, in the next chapter.**_


	25. Chapter 25: Timeless Memory

**Chapter 25: Timeless Memory**

 _Location: Regna Ferox, the Western capital._

A sacred blade swiped the air, its owner taking a deep breath before analyzing her striking pose.

"... Ever since that fight in Plegia," Lucina observed Falchion closely. "Strikes I concentrate on immensely, get coated in light; Luna has awoken inside of me."

Her feet shuffled in the ankle-deep snow, shaking off the cripplingly cold for just a bit longer. The crew had just arrived a day ago to the fairly large establishment of Basilio's territory, in other words, the heart of where the West-Khan lives.

Lowering her weapon to the side, Lucina looked up at the cloudy sky, her frosty breath obscuring the view slightly; until the princess glanced around at the nearby trees; adjusting her scarf before sheathing Falchion.

"Those two left me behind..." A sigh escaped the princess' mouth, one of annoyance due to the feeling of betrayal.

Robin and Severa left early in the morning, Lucina caught them both in the lobby – of the place they were staying in – which certainly was a surprise.  
Upon asking the unexpected duo, Severa simply left the answer vague and ran off with the tactician before any further questions escaped Lucina's mouth.

This of course left the bluenette alone to train in the nearby forest.

Of course, Yarne was still there, but the taguel was simply too busy helping Holland and Aruba; two individuals that were brought along out of fear that the Grimleals would attack them once more.

"Best if I don't dwindle too much on it..." Lucina took a pose once more – while closing her eyes – and concentrated on a single blow once more.

Just like before, Falchion emitted a pale blue light. Lucina felt her power reach its peak, giving her the signal to open her eyes and slashed the air with great force.

The precise strike rang out a unique sound that echoed through the forest. As the sound dwindled, Lucina's breath left her lungs; loosening her muscles.

"Best if I retrieve myself from these woods.., perhaps Severa and Robin are back."

 ** _…_**

Meanwhile, Robin and Severa walked alongside each other; each focusing on different stores and window displays as they explored the market area.

"Seriously, Robin," Severa decided to continue scolding him. "How could you forget about her birthday?"

"For the last time, I didn't forget... Lucina never told me her date of birth."

To this, the swordmaster scoffed. "If I recall, you said something about being reborn after knowing all of us and what not. So that means you did forget about us and Lucina's birthday, there, I'm right."

Not sure as to how he could counter said argument, Robin decided it was best to accept the loss.

"Alright, alright... Any ideas what we're going to buy?"

"We?" The red-hair looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Robin returned the gesture with a confused look. "Aren't we going to share the gift? We'll say everyone contributed."

"... I suddenly feel bad for Lucy," Severa muttered while shaking her head.

This motion simply amplified the tactician's confusion and curiosity. "Mind elaborating?"

"Either you're acting ignorant, or you're far denser than I thought you would be."

In the back of the Plegian's mind, he knew the meaning behind those words. But has Severa seriously come to such a conclusion?

Once more, the tactician decided to keep his lips sealed for the time being.

Of course, this made Severa put both hands on her hips and look at him straight in the eyes. "So you do know."

"You are not refusing," A sly smile appeared on the maiden's face. "Look, this trip is not only for us to find a gift – and by us I mean Yarne and me – but also for you to stop playing with Lucina's emotions."

"Who says I'm fooling around? Plus, we're just friends.., I doubt she looks at me like that." He uttered the latter to himself.

Unfortunately, the proximity between the two wasn't helping, so Severa overhead it. "I don't know if you couldn't tell, but she has been constantly stressing herself out by making sure you're alright, despite almost a week after that incident happened."

Yes, the overwhelming attention he has been receiving was off-putting, however, you could easily just say that a friend was concern about one's health.

"Still not convinced, huh?" Severa easily read his doubts. "What about the nights Lucina didn't slept through, or the days she went unfed just to keep you in check while unconscious."

These weren't questions, but mere facts, information Robin couldn't easily discard. He would be lying if he said he didn't have feelings for the princess, they honestly started appearing after Lucina returned from her trip to Regna Ferox.

"I'm not so sure, Severa..."

Gripping the hilt of her own blade, Severa grumbled out her next words. "You're as incompetent as _he was_..."

Looking at the swordmaster, Robin saw that she was definitely frustrated. In order to ease – or redirect – that anger, the tactician made his next words count.

"What I meant is; what if she takes it the wrong way?"

Almost instantly, Severa's eyes eased up. "Just trust me on this, okay? Lucina wants a gift from _you,_ so think up of something while we continue our search, we don't have much time left."

 ** _..._**

Time did indeed pass, enough for Severa to find a gift of her own, but not enough for the tactician to formulate a decent strategy for the matter at hand.

Soon enough, they had returned to the dorms they were staying at; Robin's heart was racing as they were greeted by the others, especially when his eyes met Lucina's.

The princess didn't hold eye contact, opting to speak with Severa instead, a conversation about the shopping bag.

"Oh, this?" Severa lifted the bag in mock surprise. "Just some items I bought for myself, nothing special."

She wasn't exactly lying, for Severa did indeed make the tactician buy some extra clothing for the swordmaster.

 _'She even blackmailed me for it!'_ Robin thought to himself while glaring at the back of her head.

Either way, they got away without Lucina knowing their exact reasoning behind their small trip. Deciding it was best to retire for the night, Robin excused himself and headed straight to his room.

However, it wasn't due to the need for sleep, such a thing was the last thing on his to-do-list. Pacing around the small dorm, the plegian had his mind racing to find a solution.

"... Gah, the gift I wanted to buy was taken by Severa..!" He soon realized he was doom to fail, he only had a few days left with zero options. "She even said it was repayment for the advice when I complained... Like, seriously? What advice! I am utterly confused now."

As if he was performing a skit in front of an audience, Robin kept doing exaggerated gestures of annoyance and discomfort while speaking to himself.

A sudden knock on his door surprised him. "Are you alright?" The voice belonged to Aruba surprisingly.

Not wanting to be rude, the tactician went over to open the door. "Sorry, I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Not at all, I was walking back to my room when I heard you speaking to yourself."

Slightly embarrassed from being caught, Robin stuttered while speaking. "Please forget about that, I was simply expressing some conflicting emotions."

"Would you like me to lend an ear? Speaking out your thoughts is important."

At first, he wanted to reject the offer; mostly due to being concerned about the woman's health, but maybe he could be selfish this once and receive important advice.

"Sure, but please, enter and sit down; don't exhaust yourself."

This nets him a small laugh from the villager. "That's very considerate of you." Aruba soon made herself comfortable on a chair.

Before speaking, Robin collected the right words. First, he started with a few past experiences, specifically about the relationship between Lucina and himself, then he admitted to a strong desire to keep her safe.

To his defense, however, Robin included the excuse - albeit fake - of him simply having those feelings because Lucina was a close friend. In the end, he explained the situation at hand and even the advice Severa offered earlier that day.

"Sounds to me like you're lovestruck," Aruba smiled and continued. "Have you truly never experienced this before?"

Those words made Robin turn beet red. "W-Well, not that I recall..." The plegian villagers didn't know about his amnesia. "... It can't be love, right?"

He received a very confused look. "Why wouldn't it?"

Memories of him not getting along with the previous princess resurfaced. _'… No, they aren't the same; they're completely different persons... But, why am I so against the idea now?'_

"Seems like to me, that you have quite a few knots in your heart," Aruba added upon seeing the tactician lose himself in an endless maze.

"... I'm afraid." He spoke out without warning.

"Afraid? About being rejected? Well, that's normal-"

"Not only that, Aruba," Robin cut her off before explaining. "I'm scared of losing her, we are soldiers, we risk our lives daily..."

He didn't want to be hurt again.

Astonished by how fast the tactician's mind worked, Aruba simply sat in silence and allowed Robin to collect his thoughts further. This was honestly the first time the two had a drawn-out conversation, but that made it easier for him to express his emotions in a way.

Once a sigh escaped the shepherd's lips – as he held a downward gaze – the woman spoke up in kind.

"Go for it."

Robin lifted his eyes with a slightly gaped mouth, a confident smile was on the woman's face, from an individual that has gone through many hardships concerning this matter – no doubt similar ones he has faced in the span of a few months.

Aruba stood up and excused herself with a small nod, unspoken words were left in the tactician's mind.

Robin thought to himself what the meaning of those three words meant; one simple conclusion was the fact that being soldiers was the main reason to confess, for their lives were fragile, it could end tomorrow or years from now.

Losing Lucina without confessing his feelings would devastate him, just like the memories that haunt him. While on the other side of the spectrum, was blinding himself – risking his position of being a tactician – due to investing in a relationship.

He breathed in sharply and narrowed his eyes while glancing at his right hand.

"I won't forget my purpose... There is no need to be scared, for I won't ever allow such an outcome to occur, I'll repay her with my life if needed."

His eyes glanced at the nearby window, the sky was illuminated with a sea of stars. Only three days remained, he couldn't afford to mess this up, for it will be an enormous stepping stone towards the direction his heart wants.

* * *

 _Three Days Remaining._

The next morning was a busy one, Robin spent most of his time alone at the town's market. Searching said section as best as he could, but nothing caught his eyes once again.

Flowers were an option, but that was far too romantic for the occasion. He wanted to give the princess something special, something that was unique and different compared to your usual gifts.

Minutes soon turned to hours, and it wasn't long till the sun was already setting. Robin found himself at the harbor of the town; military activity was rather high in that section for some reason. They seemed to be preparing for an attack; Robin made a mental note to approach Basilio about the situation.

Before dusk arrived, the tactician turned himself in and returned to the hotel they were resting at for now – utterly defeated.

* * *

 _Two Days Remaining._

This time, Yarne was helping the white-haired man decide on something. However, the Taguel was rather nervous with the idea of walking around in public, so admittedly, Robin didn't receive that much aid.

Lucina was growing suspicious as well, but Severa reassured that the princess probably didn't even remember that her birth date is approaching, no one celebrated it back in their time.

Either way, the two Shepherds – Robin and Yarne – approached many different subjects, such as Yarne finally breaking out of his shell – albeit somewhat – by fighting bravely against the Grimleals.

In the end, they visited a shop dedicated to presents related to anniversaries. Their tactician decided it was best to ask the shopkeeper, a young – but energetic – maiden.

"You can definitely present yourself in this wonderful suit-"

"S-Sorry, but I'm not trying to purpose for a wedding..."

The shopkeeper glared at him with a specific look, eyes that called him lame. "Well, one's presentation is important in the eyes of a lady ya know."

 _'I doubt Lucina would care about such trivial things...'_ Robin thought to himself patiently. "Sorry, but anything less.., you know, dynamic?"

Once more, this resulted in returning to the hotel empty handed, yet another day has gone to waste and his luck with Lucina was starting to get a bit shaky.

She was starting to ask questions, and even suggesting that they should go to town the next day if he truly needed help with whatever he was looking for.

Obviously, this was avoided at all cost; Severa would distract the royal tomorrow, giving Robin one last chance.

* * *

 _One Day Remaining._

Over the past few days, the snow was starting to melt, Regna Ferox had finally had a few days of clear skies with no snowfall. Spring was starting to bloom beautifully in the area, even if the season was known for being short in the region.

 _"I'm going to die from embarrassment if I don't find anything!"_ Robin shouted at the top of his lungs while standing in the middle of a forest.

Robin's voice echoed as he gasped for air; frustration was high; he couldn't understand why he was trying so hard, and why he wouldn't accept anything generic.

Giving up, for now, the tactician fell to his knees and stared at the open sky. His ears soon picked up the sound of many critters, mostly avian.

For some reason, it reminded Robin of the time he trained with Frederick at the knight's hometown.

Granted, it was weird watching the Stalwart-Knight dive into the lake, but they did share a small moment of peace when the sun was rising over the horizon.

Yes, he remembered how he came to the realization of how important the world was to the princess. The natural beauty that it held was greatly increased in her eyes.

Only the Shepherds who returned from the future truly understood how precious life was, small or big, to them everything held an equal value.

And then, as if a wave crashed into him, an idea occurred to the tactician – alongside a faint memory – while a smile slowly appeared; one of excitement and success.

Robin needed to tell the others before it was too late.

* * *

 _Zero Days Remaining: Lucina's Birthday._

Awakening just like usual, Lucina got out of bed as she stretched and yawned.

Given how it was still dark outside, she came to the conclusion that it was just before dawn, a usual occurrence with her daily schedule. Taking full advantage of her free-time, the royal decided to gear up and head towards the nearby woods just to train a small bit.

Due to being on auto-pilot, Lucina failed to notice a certain swordmaster in the lobby – hiding from plain sight – waiting for her to leave the building.

Severa did a small fist pump. "We have an hour or two now..!"

She then proceeded to decorate a naked table, ranging from a small cake; to the gift they bought.

The next person to wake up was Holland, who greeted with a smile before sitting down. After that, Yarne and Aruba joined; leaving only one person absent.

Although, Severa already knew he wouldn't present himself anytime soon if things went accordingly to plan – the tactician's plan to be exact.

As expected, the princess returned after an hour or so, Lucina opened the door fully before the group of friends shouted in surprise; wishing the shocked Lucina a happy birthday with laughs and smiles all around.

"... I didn't remember it was today..." Lucina managed to utter out.

Severa simply smirked. "Of course you didn't! But I'm your childhood friend, so I gotcha covered." She then proceeded to get behind the bluenette and push her towards the table. "C'mon we have a cake to slice, and you better give me extra for organizing this."

"You shouldn't have bothered-"

"No excuses! Just be happy, alright." Severa voiced out everyone's opinion.

After a short grace period of everyone enjoying the dessert, Lucina started to notice that Robin wasn't there with them.

Everyone at the table noticed the princess' searching eyes, they needed to distract her further.

Quick on her feet, Severa took action by showing Lucina a bag. "By the way, we got you something, a collaboration between everyone here."

Upon being handed the gift, Lucina looked at it, then back at her friends; they encouraged her with a nod.

Not sure what was inside, the princess treated it with care and caution before feeling a smooth fabric inside. Her hands gripped the piece of cloth and pulled it out, revealing a light blue cape that held a slightly different design than the one she wore.

The main difference was the tail of the cape, which ended in three separate ends.

A warm smile appeared on the princess' face. "Thank you, everyone... This is more than I deserve."

"Nonsense!" Severa cheered.

"Y-Yeah, you needed something like this!" Yarne added.

"Go on, put it on, we're curious to see," Aruba said in a sweet tone, while Holland nodded in agreement.

Doing as she was told, Lucina took off her old cape and held it in one hand, her eyes giving it one last look.

While her old cape held sentimental values, it was still rather old, and was sporting a few holes – and stitches – now.

Not wasting any more time, Lucina proceeded to put on the new one, gaining a few gasps of awe from the others.

Aruba complimented her, saying it was a perfect fit.

While Severa prided herself on picking the right one.

Time went on; waiting for none; needless to say, the princess enjoyed her time with the others, even if the idea was still alien to her due to not celebrating such things for many years.  
After a short while, Severa decided to take the princess to a little walk around town, specifically around the shoreline.

They both hanged around a railing that overlooked the sea. Standing next to each other quietly, until Severa decided to speak out. "We never had time to relax back then..."

"Mmm," Lucina hummed out a sound of agreement. "Such an odd feeling it is as well."

"Sorry if you're not comfortable with it.., the celebration that is."

"Don't be," Lucina paused, proceeding when the sound of a crashing wave died down. "My gratitude cannot be expressed with words."

"... You don't owe me for this," Severa rested her arms on the wooden rail. "Think of it as my own thank you message."

Upon hearing this, the bluenette didn't speak right away, which prompted the swordmaster to continue talking.

"Out of everyone in the future, I'm pretty sure you suffered the most, yet you still led us."

Shaking her head – cobalt locks swaying – Lucina disagreed. "We all suffered, big or small, we share that pain."

A sigh escaped the swordmaster's lips. "Fitting of you to say that... Ever since we were little, you showed the signs of a great leader. Surviving in that hell hole was already near to being impossible, it isn't hard to imagine what would've happened to us without you taking charge."

Their mothers were great friends, so Lucina spent a great deal of time with Severa; practically sisters you could say. Any further words between the two weren't exchanged, there was simply no need for it, for there was a strong mutual understanding between the two.

 ** _…_**

Dusk fall soon arrived, and everyone had turned themselves in for the night. This included Lucina, who was enjoying a small read before getting ready for bed.

The subject of her book was related to stargazing, something she was always fond of since being a child.

Lucina's mother would always take her to a balcony in one of the watchtowers, just to observe the stars whenever she couldn't sleep.

A knock on the door was heard, startling the princess. "Who's it?"

"Just me, Lucina,"

Upon opening the door, Lucina revealed a tactician. "Robin? I haven't seen you all day."

"..." He didn't say anything, but he held out a hand.

Not exactly understanding what Robin wanted, Lucina stared at it with questioning eyes.

"Do you trust me?" He finally asked.

The princess looked into his eyes. "Of course I do..."

"Come with me then."

Maintaining eye contact, Lucina took his hand, all while noticing how serious and nervous he was. Despite all of this, Robin didn't waste any time, leading her down the hall and then outside of the building.

His steed was waiting for them, packed lightly with some supplies.

"Mind if I ask where we're heading?" Lucina asked once the tactician got on and offered a hand to her.

Once the two were seated properly, Robin answered with a simple; wait and see. He then commanded the steed to advance down the empty road at a fair pace.

Their travel time was rather remarkable, despite being dark, Robin knew the way perfectly as they sped down the forest roads.  
Lucina resigned herself to holding him tight due to the speed they were going at; curiosity as to where they were heading was starting to peak.

However, it wasn't long till they reached the desired location, an area that the princess didn't even know existed.

* * *

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Ruins of Time._

Upon arriving at the ancient location of old, Lucina couldn't help but let out a small gasp of awe.

Robin – who dismounted their horse last – soon joined her as well, a smile plastered on his face. They both stood at the entrance of a large bay, the calm waters seemingly sparkled underneath the moonlight.

However, that wasn't the only thing that contributed to such a beautiful sight.

At the center of the bay were ancient ruins, to be specific, some sort of platform that was made out of transparent material – possibly made out of glass – and a dome-like temple that overlooked it all.

"Follow me, Lucina," The tactician led the way, walking over to a wooden bridge that led to the temple's grounds.

As soon as they took a step onto the platform, the pair could sense a different kind of atmosphere altogether; serenity; was the closest thing they could describe it with.

"This is utterly gorgeous..." Lucina uttered out, her eyes glued to the water underneath the glass flooring.

Due to the clear night sky, the light provided by the moon and stars was amplified by the ruins, making it illuminate with a gentle emerald glow.

"... I couldn't think of an item for your gift, so I decided; why not give us a happy memory?"

Robin's sudden reveal behind his motives led to the princess to look at him for a couple of seconds, face shifting from confusion to an earnest smile that was considered rare – even to the tactician.

She didn't say it, but Robin understood her. _'Thank you, truly.'_ Was what Lucina said with mere looks.

Resuming their exploration, the pair walked over to the nearby temple; there was a location that Basilio – out of all people – recommended to the tactician.

Unlike outside, the interior was pitch black, forcing Lucina to cast a small wisp of light before Robin continued to advance.

"Are we truly allowed to enter, Robin?"

"Of course, I asked Basilio; said we had permission as long as we didn't litter the place."

"You spoke with the West-Khan?"

"Yeah, but that's a story for another day."

They both went silent upon approaching a set of stairs not too far into the temple, which led them to the top floor, and into a balcony. Said area was overlooking the vast sea. A sight that was further enchanted by the moonlight and stars.

Robin took in a deep breath as a cold breeze blew by, his lungs enjoying the fresh air greatly. "You know, this will be one of the few memories we are like this."

His words received a quizzical look from the bluenette standing beside him.

"A memory that doesn't include practice for an upcoming battle," Robin continued. "Or some other stressful business."

To this, Lucina smiled and proceeded to stargaze. Many would merely get over the feeling of awe fast, but to the princess, the view felt like a childhood dream just came to life right before her eyes.

She soon remembered how Robin was absent during the day. "So the reasoning behind your absence earlier today..."

"Yeah, it was due to me planning this out," Robin smiled and looked at her for a small moment; his gaze returned to the sea. "I wanted you to be happy, and I wanted to be by your side while doing so."

Lucina's face started to heat up. "... One would get the wrong impression from such words."

Swallowing his saliva, Robin tested his luck. "Maybe that was the idea." He glanced at the princess; Lucina's eyes were wide and her cheeks were red.

"Are you joking? You're fully aware of my inability to-"

"I'm not joking, Lucina," The tactician fully turned to face her. "Recently, I've come to terms with some emotions; that protecting you is what I truly want..."

"Please, don't push yourself so..." She looked down in shame, for Lucina still felt guilty for the incident that occurred back in Plegia. "Robin, seeing you injured deals a great amount of pain to me."

In response to those words, the tactician decided it was time. "There are a couple things I wish to confess tonight; mind if you hear me out?"

A lump appeared in the royal's throat, but she nodded in agreement, prompting Robin to explain a long tale that slowly formed itself with each passing day they spent together.

He started with the day they first met in the forest, how he felt a strong sense of guilt towards her, while strongly believing that a debt was needed to be paid.

Those odd feelings were soon discovered to be from one reason alone; Lucina – from his timeline – did something for him that was inexplicable at the time. The princess – despite never getting along – sacrificed her own life, saving his in the process.

Finally, he explained how those feelings of debt have increased greatly upon getting to know the Lucina standing beside him.

"However, there is another reason as to why I wish to keep you safe..." Robin's heart was beating rapidly, he felt the entire world spinning around them. "Something I have been fighting back for over a while now, sometimes without even realizing it..."

Lucina felt tears fall down her cheeks as the next three words left his mouth.

* * *

 **AN: Happy birthday, Lucina!**

 **And yes, we have reached that point it seems... I can only hope that the 24 chapters before this scene were well built for it.**

 **One last thing before I end it here; next chapter won't be on Monday, this one is technically the next one in line, but due to being dated by Lucina's special day, it was posted today.**

 **So I'll see all of you next week! (April 30th to be exact)**

 ** _Until we meet again, in the next chapter._**


	26. Chapter 26: A Brewing Tempest

**Chapter 26: A Brewing Tempest.**

 _'The next words he said, was enough to send my entire world upside down...'_

That's what Lucina thought as she stood before Robin, the man that decided to risk it all.

"I love you."

Those words rang true in Lucina's thoughts as tears fell down her cheeks. Almost instantly, Robin regretted his actions, the last thing he wanted to do was making the princess tear up.

He approached her quietly with a slight frown plastered on his face. "I apologize... You're clearly upset, forget what I said-"

"N-No," Lucina said with a shaken tone. "Robin.., o-overjoyed..."

At first, he couldn't decipher the bluenette's broken speech; soon his face lit up with a smile. "Truly? What a great relief."

As their first act of acceptance towards each other, they embraced; one that signaled the start of their shared story.

 ** _…_**

 _'Those memories kept me up all night... Even now, my heart threatens to escape me in order to reach the stars above us that starry night.'_

In a cruel act of reminding the princess that time didn't wait for no one, a cold breeze entered the comfort of her cocoon.

The bitter cold morning of Regna Ferox caused the restless bluenette to shift underneath the sheets, her head emerging from the small confinement of the blanket before yawning.

Soon enough, Lucina's eyes processed her surroundings.

She was greeted by a dying campfire – merely embers and coal – that barely emitted a small source of heat, but it was also laid out before the Ruins of Time that shined underneath the first hours of sunlight.

Memories of what occurred last night filled the princess' mind once again.

Robin told a sorrowful tale underneath the starlit sky, which ended in something that wasn't entirely expected. His words rang out in her head, over and over, causing the princess to feel restless underneath the covers.

Giving up on trying to stay put, her eyes wandered in search of the white-haired Plegian. The area where he had slept was empty, which prompted the royal to sit up and glance around even further.

Yet again, no signs of Robin's presence could be seen. "... Maybe in the forest?" She asked herself; quickly coming to the conclusion that there was no need for him to be in the woods.

Lucina's last option was the temple, and to that, she prepared to head over there by putting on her boots.

The pair had camped out near the shoreline, so it didn't take Lucina that long to head over to the desired location. Just like before, the ruins held a sense of serenity upon entering, while also now holding a special place in the royal's heart.

Now inside the temple, Lucina's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting until she could make out a figure standing at the center of the dome.

"Robin." She made her presence clear to the tactician.

Turning to greet her – albeit a bit surprised. "O-Oh! Lucina, morning. How did you sleep?" Robin sounded unsure of himself.

"Mildly restless, due to some thoughts..."

Robin softens his eyes but nodded in agreement; for he didn't sleep well either. After that interaction, an awkward silence soon followed; until the princess decided to ask the Plegian as to why he was in here.

"Ah, I was just observing these odd carvings on the wall."

"Carvings?" Lucina followed his gaze, and sure enough, spotted a slot decorating the wall.

Upon closer inspection, the hole held the shape of a jagged double edge sword, something that the bluenette has never seen – design wise.

"That isn't the only one either," Robin continued after pointing to another section. "There's a slot over there as well; looks like a specific kind of lance."

And to further add to the mystery, another hole held the shape of a bow.

Lucina spoke up in kind. "Do you believe such a thing hides the answer to the origins of this place?"

"Most likely... Basilio told me this area was extremely old, and for some reason, each West-Khan visits this temple as a tradition when receiving the title of Khan."

"How odd, Feroxeans don't believe in religion."

To this, Robin nodded while continuing to observe the dome closer. "Yeah, and the design of this place reminds me of something that worships Naga... I might have to ask the locals – or Basilio – for the details later."

As the tactician's voice died down, so did the echo that rang inside the lonely temple.

After a few seconds of silence, Lucina's gaze shifted to Robin's frame – he was distracted – she felt a sense of longing upon noticing the distance between them.

"Anyways," He voiced out; eyes locking with hers. "Let us not think about the matter too much, best if we start packing up to leave for now."

Robin made his way to the exit but halted upon standing next to the princess, a small pause went by before he spoke up.

"Hey, Lucina..?"

The princess – now facing him fully – tilted her head slightly to better look at him. "Yes?"

"... H-How about we return here someday, together."

Blinking in surprise, Lucina watched the white-haired plegian rub the back of his head – usual signs of him being nervous.

"For whatever reason?" Unknowingly, a teasing smile appeared on the royal's face.

"Well, you know... To celebrate, about us – being a thing..."

Hearing that made Lucina happy, but also embarrassed. "O-Of course; only if you'll have me for that long..."

Whipping his head towards her, Robin's eyes widen. "No doubt in my mind that I would want that! … Err, I mean, I should be the one asking such a thing; you're royalty and all that, while I lack such qualities-"

"Such traits matter not to me, allow me to reassure you that."

"Reassure me-?"

His words were caught in his throat as Lucina cut him off. "I love you, Robin." Her cheeks were a pink hue, but she wore a brave face.

Silence washed over the couple, mostly because the tactician wasn't expecting that kind of response.

"Is this how you felt when I said it out of the blue?" Robin cracked a playful remark.

Lucina giggled; something that Robin could compare to a beautiful melody. "I never did return the gesture did I? Sincere apologies for that, guilt haunted me during the night due to it..."

"N-No needs to say sorry, can't really blame you due to how unexpected it was."

"Yes, but my reaction wasn't appropriate..," Lucina continued. "Reflecting back, it was quite.., childish of me." She remembered how uttering a word was difficult for her, such flashbacks made Lucina's cheeks heat up.

Feeling a bit more comfortable, Robin reassured her with a kind smile. "I'm sure a lot was going through your mind, and I was no different."

In sync with one another, they started walking towards the campsite.

"Robin, there's one thing I would like to say,"

"I'm all ears,"

"Doubt enters my mind when I remind myself of our positions and lives; will this truly work for us?"

"Absolutely," His response was instant. "For it is what we want, right?"

Lucina held her head high with a smile, her heart was beating wildly. "Yes; despite the feeling being alien to me."

"In that case, we're in the same boat," Robin held back a chuckle. "But that means we'll learn together; one step at a time."

The pair soon reached their campsite and prepared for the journey to track back to their friends.

* * *

 _Location: Eastern Side of Ylisse, Desert Oasis._

A small girl let out a large sigh of relief as she removed her hood and scarf from her face. "We're finally out of that harsh sandstorm!

Laurent and Nah have ventured to the ancient grounds of the Desert Oasis, a mysterious land famed for having spring waters scattered throughout the land, while also holding a fame legend to its name

"Indeed," Laurent cleansed his glasses with a cloth. "At the very least, we didn't return empty-handed. Your powers to detect the flow of mana was crucial, Nah."

The scholar's sharp eyes then took a glance at the baggage they carried – resting on the sand for now – inside rested their intended target.

"Hehe, thanks! But, I can't believe it was real," Nah sounded excited, skipping happily over to the bag before revealing what it held. "The Goddess Staff... Wow, this thing really has the power to heal anything?"

"Quite so, allow me to remind you that being cautious is utmost importance here; fracturing its source of power will deprive it of its usage." He snatched the relic away carefully and proceeded to hide it in the bag.

"I know, I know..." The young manakete defended herself with a small pout. "So what exactly will we save it for?"

Adjusting his glasses before speaking, Laurent reminded the Manakete of their mission. "Saving Chrom; unlike the others, I firmly believe in that time will find a way to correct itself, an example was the downfall of Ylisse's former Exalt, Emmeryn. Using this relic shall grant us the insurance to save who is needed to prevent failure."

"But didn't we agree Lucina will take Chrom's spot should he fall?" The blonde haired girl countered.

"An idea I suggested; one that has flaws just like any other plan; let us not take confidence in just a single strategy. If we can prevent Chrom's death, we shall do so with utmost priority."

Nah giggled with a smile. "Sounds like something Robin would say. You really look up to him, don't you?"

"... Something akin to that; said Grandmaster has yet to take up their position in this timeline."

"Wait, Ylisse is lacking a Grandmaster..? That can't be good."

The mage included his head, agreeing with the girl. "In fact, I haven't heard Robin's renown spread throughout the region like it did during our childhood... If something happened to him, perhaps personally taking up the Grandmaster title would be the best course of action."

Nah simply listened to the scholar mage in silence, nodding in order to show she was paying attention.

Laurent, however, decided to change topics. "For now, let us proceed with our mission. Our next destination is locating the Legendary Three Regalia."

"Oh, I read about those during our trip over here; Mercurius, Parthia, and Gradivus, powerful ancient weapons of war."

"Correct, that book; _Infinite Regalia_ ; holds the secrets of uncovering their locations, solving the riddle within its pages is key."

The two started heading towards the exiting point of the desert; specifically to a location that hid their convoy.

"And so our next target is?" Nah asked in kind.

"Parthia; which hints at being located in the eastern part of Regna Ferox."

Nah shuddered at the thought. "I'm not so good with the cold, but I guess we don't have a choice..."

Laurent adjusted his glasses once more, they gleamed and obscured his eyes. "Such is the way in order to save this world."

* * *

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Obscured North-West Village._

A shout filled the air as Kjelle went for a powerful lunge attack.

Liam dodged the blow swiftly by hopping backward before sidestepping, his positioning was perfect for a counterattack; Kjelle anticipated this. Turning her hips, Kjelle intercepted the attack with her shield – coming from the far left – something the blonde wasn't expecting to be possible.

The proud Ylissean Knight slammed her massive iron shield against the man during his attack; sending the swordsman flying off his feet.

Noire, who was watching, clapped softly with a smile. Happy that her friend finally won against their temporary teacher.

While Liam got back up to his feet, a smile appeared on his face. "Heh, nice trick kid.., using your shield as a weapon? Takes a lot of strength to do such a thing."

Strength, a trait that Kjelle wasn't lacking. "When you said use it to get a strike, it reminded me of a blunt weapon," She continued. "And I always wanted to use them as a kid."

Of course, such an analogy made Liam raise an eyebrow, but he dismissed the odd thinking with a proud chuckle. "Well, it worked; that takes skill of its own and all that, makes up for your lack of speed and wits as well."

"Hey! I just beat your arse and you're making fun of me-"

"Only beat me once, kid! You still need to make up more attack techniques if you don't want your arse being killed out there."

Kjelle opens her mouth in preparation to defend herself, but they were interrupted by a shout.

"L-Liam! Liam!" A desperate villager arrived at the scene. "B-Bandits, they're back!"

A sigh escaped the guardian's mouth; Liam motion with his head to lead the way. Not wasting even a second, the trio followed the villager, arriving at a sight that boiled their blood with anger.

One of the houses were lit on fire, and many innocent residents were scrambling to safety, away from a large group of bandits – all armed to the teeth – that approached the main plaza where Liam, and co, stood bravely.

The enemy – upon noticing the blonde haired man – parted and revealed a man in a sage's outfit, but wielded the same aura a dark sorcerer had.

"... Cassius," Liam recognized the man instantly, unsheathing his blade in preparation for what's to come.

"So you're the pest that has been a sore in my back all this time," Cassius showed a wicked smile. "Not hiding makes my job a whole lot easier ya know."

"Hiding from you would disgrace everything I stand for, ya scum."

"Tell me, fool; considering how you appeared out of nowhere, why do you defend these villagers? They belong to me after all, and must pay their debts if they want our protection."

This increased the rage Liam was holding back. "Protection!? You call stealing their children and selling them off to slavers a just deal!?"

Kjelle and Noire both shared an expression of disgust upon hearing this.

The dark mage laughed. "Such matters shouldn't concern you... Like I said, these are my lands, and you're an outsider."

"Oh, it concerns me alright..." The hero's grip on his weapon tightened. "Ever since you took her life away.., your schemes became my bane."

Cassius raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding what the other man meant, which allowed Liam to elaborate.

"Of course, a murderer like you wouldn't blink twice – let alone remember – a lost life; allow me to replenish those disgusting memories of yours."

Liam told the tale of a traveling maiden, who sacrificed her life to save a young child – one that wasn't hers – for the maternal instincts inside, moved her into action.

"That heroic woman was my wife... The bearer of my unborn child who you also took away from me upon killing her."

Kjelle and Noire – even some of the bandits – felt their resolve weaken, they were witnessing the husk of a broken man, who was fueled with vengeance.

However, true to Liam's worlds, Cassius didn't feel any remorse. "Ha! Are you saying she got in our way? She got what she deserved for interfering."

Noire pulled an arrow out of her quiver and took aim. "Y-You..."

Noticing the familiar – hair standing – sensation of overflowing dark magic, Kjelle turned to address the assassin. "Noire calm down-"

" _You fifthly monster! Not even the pits of hell is enough to remedy your sins!"_ Noire's entire persona shifted from a timid girl; to an enraged lunatic with a wicked expression.

Liam had to move out the way, lest he wanted to get caught in the crossfire of the multitude of arrows being flung. Some of them hit their targets, but Noire's accuracy was pitiful in such a state, resulting in most of them missing.

Cassius decided to retreat while ordering his men. "Don't come back to the base unless that man is dead! Burn this village to the ground!"

" _Ahahaha! I am the righteous fury that shall punish every single one of you!"_ Noire continued her outrage against the bandits, who were wise enough to seek cover.

Meanwhile, Kjelle pulled Liam into their own safe zone, the latter speaking out in shock. "H-Has she lost her head!?"

"Just don't get caught in her line of sight and you'll be fine!" Kjelle suddenly charged into battle as a bandit got too close to where the villagers hid.

"... You say that, but," He glanced at Noire, who was changing directions constantly, sniping down any foes that were unlucky. "Either way, this is the perfect opportunity to cut off that snake's head. We just need to win this battle."

Without another word, the man charged into battle; ensuring a fight that would last until only one side remained.

* * *

 _Location: Regna Ferox, West-Khan's Capital._

Riding along the road smoothly, Lucina held onto the tactician from behind. They weren't too far from their destination, which saddens the couple; having less time for each other was a given once the trip resumed.

Robin's voice filled in the silence momentarily. "We'll be leaving tomorrow; given the pace, we're going at, we'll reach Ylisstol in a month."

"May I ask what would be next after that?"

"... I haven't given it much thought yet, to be honest."

Lucina pondered on what they could do, some ideas came to mind, but ultimately, they weren't ideal with what they needed to do. "Training with the Shepherds seems to be best." She concluded.

The white-haired plegian nodded. "Although, some of the Shepherds aren't fighting anymore, and asking them to train with the rest wouldn't work."

A handful of the Shepherds halted their service after the war; Chrom can't exit the castle often, and this also meant Lissa and Sumia were rooted in place.  
Maribelle, Gregor, Libra, and Ricken, were also busy with their own personal goals; Gaius and Tharja weren't even in Ylisse now.

"Perhaps warning them would be appropriate."

"Maybe.., but we can leave such thoughts for a later date-" An explosion – heard behind the treeline – interrupted Robin. "Hold on tight Lucina, that came in the direction of the shoreline!"

Their steed ran like the wind, quickly approaching the main entrance of the capital. Navigating the streets was easy enough, for the townsfolk halted in their tracks, all of them facing towards the direction of the large commotion.

The Shepherds reached the docks that were previously reinforced with crates and sandbags. Debris such as wooden planks and splinters littered the area, while Feroxean soldiers defended from an unexpected army.

Robin and Lucina dismounted; Falchion was drawn as Robin scanned the situation with his keen eyes.

"Valm is attacking," His words confirmed their fears. "Has time accelerated?"

"No, I don't believe so," The bluenette elaborated. "Regna Ferox was attacked multiple times before requesting help from Ylisse and her people."

Orders and shouts filled the air, as massive vessels approached the shoreline; mages positioned inside the ships kept casting devastating fire spells, chaos was brewing between the ranks of the Feroxeans.

"Tsk' we lack a general, no doubt Valm caught them off guard this time," Thinking fast, Robin made way to jump onto a large crate. "Everyone, calm down! I'm a tactician, just follow-"

None of the soldiers seemed to care about the plegian trying to save their lives.

 _'Damn it! Now would've been a great time to have the renowned title of Grandmaster.'_ He ignored the clutches of regret for now. "Right, this is Regna Ferox; all I need to do is show my strength..!"

Taking aim at a nearby vessel, Robin pointed a finger at its side before muttering the necessary ancient words.

" _Thoron!_ " The bolt of lightning pierced through the air and landed a direct blow against the vessel, creating a hole large enough to take in water.

That wasn't Robin's only intention; due to the roaring sound of thunder, all soldiers in the proximity noticed his presence.

"I want a wall near the shoreline! Don't let them touch our lands; form an unshakable wall and be Ferox's steel!" Speaking like a true Feroxean was enough to gain their trust, some even remembered the Plegian from the last war.

While the strategy was simple, it was enough to disrupt the invasion's momentum; Valm was betting on a single discord in order to hit hard.

Lucina awaited the tactician's instructions, he was busy giving minor orders to different groups of soldiers. Robin was astounding in the tactical field, every word he said was audible, clear, and meaningful.

Finally, the plegian shifted his gaze to her. "Lucina, go to the shoreline and command the troops, show your dominance with your wits and strength, they speak louder than words here."

"Understood!" She dashed over to her objective.

"S-Sir!" A Soldier approached the tactician. "Buildings south-west from here are being attacked."

"Then go evacuate the citizens, navigate them all towards the mainland, get help from any other soldier you see-"

"They are retreating!" A shout was heard.

Just as suddenly as the attack started, the Valmese navel forces retreated back to the safety of the sea.

"... A tactical retreat?" Robin muttered to himself, before looking at the soldier who he was commanding prior. "Go check up on the citizens, help anyone in need."

"Yes, Sir!"

Not long after the Feroxean left, a familiar face arrived at the scene. "If it isn't Robin!"

That loud voice, only one man could speak at such a volume. "Basilio... You're lucky I was here when the invasion started, they would have docked by the time you got here."

The Khan simply laughed. "We would have driven them away just like last time, but I appreciate your help."

"Those Valm troops... Why haven't you told Ylisstol about it? We could've sent some of our pegasus knights in order to counter their naval forces."

Basilio shrugged. "Don't concern yourself, Regna Ferox has everything under control."

"Yes, until their ships make contact with the land inside your territory. Those vessels looked packed with soldiers."

"That won't occur, lad." This time, the Khan gave Robin a serious look; halting any further attempts at debating.

"... At the very least, allow me to improve your defense line, Basilio."

To this, the Khan raised an eyebrow. "Don't ya have a trip to make?"

Before he could answer the warrior, Robin was interrupted by a certain princess. "They're retreating south from here, Robin-"

Lucina paused – eyes widening – upon spotting the West-Khan; Basilio was already analyzing her.

Thinking fast, the tactician spoke up. "Thank you, Caeda!" He scolded himself mentally for the name. "But that surely means they are heading to a hideout of some kind in Plegia."

"Aye," Basilio decided to stop glaring the nervous princess. "Those dastards have been using hit and run tactics on us, however, scouts have determined that their base is on Carrion Isle."

"Carrion Isle? Of all places..." Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "The island isn't too close nor too far from the Long-fort, and despite being own by Plegia, it isn't populated due to being known as a dangerous island... A perfect place to hide and prepare for another attack."

"And we can't send troops over due to the damnable peace treaty we have with the new Plegian King." The Khan added.

Robin looked up at the man, Basilio wasn't going to seek help just yet, his pride didn't allow it. "Our best bet, for now, is to create a security network around the shoreline. I can draft a diagram for you before I leave; if you allow me to do so."

"Hmm..," Basilio pondered for a bit before smiling. "Sure why not! I always wanted a reliable tactician that works his arse off in battle."

Sadly, Robin's strategy was only a temporary solution; resources were going to be a problem once winter comes around, and defending against continuous sieges wasn't going to be easy.  
Especially since the strategist behind these attacks seemed to be very experienced with naval warfare; having Valm as enemies was not a laughing matter.

 _'Once I leave, I'll report this situation to Flavia and maybe Chrom... Sorry Basilio, but I'm not going to let Valm get the upper hand just yet; we can't let time try to correct itself just yet, for the Shepherds aren't ready.'_

The future, once more, was clouded in mystery. One wrong step could cause devastating results and alter the chain of events Lucina and Robin were aware of, rendering their ability to foretell the future useless.

* * *

 **AN: Finally! I am free - sort of - from my hellish schedule!**

 **Man, if only I could express my frustration with how things have been occupying my life... And the free time I had, was spent on not having the energy to write a decent chapter.**  
 **To this date, this has been the most delayed chapter I have ever put out... Youch, nine days? Sadly, all I could do is apologize, and hope to be on time for the next chapter.**

 **I'll be shifting back to a two-week schedule, the prior month, I was posting weekly; which was too exhausting considering how college was foreshadowing finals.**

 **And that's about it for now.., I don't have any further comments other than saying Thank you for the support.**

 **I'll continue to work hard from here on out, and at the very least, summer is approaching; lots of free time there.**

 ** _PS: If you guys notice any formatting errors, let me know. The website was acting up on me when trying to upload things._**

 _ **May we meet again, in the next chapter.**_


	27. Chapter 27: The Guardian

**Chapter 27: The Guardian.**

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Western Capital._

A lonely tactician muttered to himself while sitting in a dimly lit room; Robin was scratching his head while observing a piece of paper.  
Two days have gone by since the attack from Valm occurred, and from that day onward, Robin has made it his goal to create a defensive mechanism around the western shoreline of Regna Ferox.

However, his plans were reaching an all-time low due to specific factors he had to take into account.

Distracted by these issues, the tactician failed to notice the door – to his room – opening. Revealing a cerulean hair princess, carrying a metal tray.

Lucina approached gracefully to the desk, only being noticed by Robin once she set down a cup filled with tea. "You should take a break, Robin."

"Mm, thank you, Luce," Doing what he was told, Robin gingerly picked up his cup and took a sip. "And sorry I have been locked in here these past few days."

The princess shook her head. "Do not concern yourself, for you have my support."

"Ha, thanks... How are the others? I haven't really spoken with them."

"Their health is fine; although I do have my questions when it comes to your progress."

Nodding, Robin handed over the diagram to the princess, which she took with care. Of course, Lucina didn't understand what it described at a simple glance, so the Plegian started explaining.

"That paper shows what we have to do in order to defend against naval forces. The plan requires a large sum of wood and manpower, due to needing to construct watchtowers along the shoreline."

"Watchtowers?" Lucina spotted a few circles near the western sea, most likely the locations of each look-out post.

"Indeed, they will increase our field of vision. For you see, there's a limit as to how far we can see towards the horizon, something that sailors are well aware of, and the main reason they use a crow nest."

"So we're constructing these in order to counter the Valmese's advantage."

Robin confirmed with a nod and a smile. "We'll also have a few groups of soldiers working on trenches and barriers, but since I'm only drafting the plan, our departure will most likely be tomorrow since I'm almost done-"

The Tactician paused, going for another drink, but his eyes widened upon realizing the cup was empty. Lucina held back a laugh as she took the cup out of his hands and settled it down, she made motions that signaled her departure.

"Oh, Lucina," He continued. "Before you leave, I was wondering one small thing."

With tray in hand, the bluenette gave Robin her full attention. "And that would be?"

"... Well, I was just wondering if you – not forcing or anything – were alright with spending some time together a bit before sunset."

Upon hearing this, a small smile appeared on the princess' face. "Of course, I'll be glad to."

"G-Great! Haha, guess that means it's our first.., date as an item..." A pink hue appeared on Robin's cheeks.

Lucina's face mimicked his before she excused herself. "I'll see you then, Robin." Was the last thing she said.

Once alone, the tactician sunk into his chair with a sigh. "... You're a tactician who has fought wars, and yet a single woman makes you nervous," His mind reflected back on the princess he holds dear. "My enemies would laugh at me now.

* * *

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Far Eastern Side._

Nah and Laurent, have finally entered the desired kingdom and were happy to see that most of the snow has melted away.

"Our travel time will be diminished greatly," Laurent voiced out. "No doubt we will find our next relic on schedule."

Meanwhile, the manakete – sitting next to the mage – nodded happily. "Yeah, and it isn't as cold right now. Oh and by the way, what's our current hint?"

Silence washed over the pair, for the scholar was reflecting on what the riddle said.

"If my memories serve me right; Created in the midst of nowhere, lies an ancient giant, one that has no origin nor belonging. Only the first rays of hope greet it in its frozen domain, forever withering away."

Not really understanding what it meant, Nah pondered to herself for a couple of seconds. "So.., I guess we'll have to ask some villagers?"

"Yes, and from my understanding, we're searching for something that had been constructed without the knowledge of those near it. In other words, something that appeared someday without warning."

"Oh!" Nah's eyes lit up. "So we can just ask for rumors and the sorts. I'm sure people will spread all sorts of legends about some mysterious thing that appeared out of nowhere."

"Precisely," A bump in the road made Laurent's glasses fall out of place, which he adjusted. "One should be shortly up ahead, we shall gather information about our goal once there."

As the scholar said, it wasn't long till the gates of a village was spotted by the traveling duo. Upon arrival, they were greeted nicely by some of the folks, which allowed Laurent to ask the necessary questions to an Elder that was near the road.

"A mysterious ruin that appeared out of nowhere ya say?" The Elder repeated while pondering. "Well, there is an odd mansion of sorts a bit north from here."

Nah was the first to react. "Really!? Laurent, that means we found-"

"But I must warn ya," The Elder continued. "That place isn't safe. Nothing but trouble I tell ya, those who enter it never return."

This made Nah's expression shift from excitement to horror. "... N-Never to return?" She looked at Laurent, but the mage's glasses had a gleam. "P-Please don't tell me we're going there."

"Thank you, Elder." Was the only thing the mage said before moving the convoy forward.

The blonde girl sat in silence, with a look of desperation as she tried to come up with an escape route.

 ** _..._**

Despite not wanting to go, Nah was forced out of the convoy in order to stand in front of her fears. A large mansion that sat ominously in the middle of nowhere near a cliff.

Laurent observed it closely, while the young manakete hid behind his frame. "Can you sense anything, Nah?"

This question seemingly snapped the girl out of her worries. "Uh, you mean like the sensation of mana? Not really, however, my instincts are yelling at me to not get near that place."

"Hmm, of course... Unlike the Goddess staff, Parthia shouldn't be magically charged." He ignored the dragonkin's worries.

"C'mon, Laurent! You're a smart guy, surely you know this seems sketchy," Nah looked at the mansion. "I would only go in there if there was a harsh blizzard forcing me to do so."

Heeding the manakete's warnings wasn't on the young man's list. "... Let us find an entrance, perhaps a window will suffice."

Laurent walked over to the mansion's front porch, he then got near a slightly shattered window and proceeded to break off the remaining glass. Meanwhile, Nah stared in disbelief but reluctantly followed after him due to not wanting to be alone.

As expected, the interior of the place was dimly lit and dusty. Not to mention, all warmth was gone, alongside the hospitality that it once held back during its time of usage.

Laurent's companion was the first to speak. "This place reminds me of our world... Broken, forgotten.., lifeless."

The mage nodded in agreement as he summoned a wisp of light, before making his way down the dark corridor.

In order to fill in the silence, Nah repeated the rumors of this place. "Hey, Laurent...Do you really think all who enters here, never got out?"

"Such tales are merely fabricated to scare off troublesome children."

"R-Right.., yeah, just children... Haha, I'm not a child at all! So why would I be trapped in here... And even if we were trapped, I'm sure we can find a way out!" Nah kept reassuring herself as the duo kept exploring the place.

However, misfortune was never far; Laurent found himself staring at a dead end, causing him to halt – Nah bumped into him softly from behind.

"Let us turn around and try another way, seems as if we reached the end of this one." The mage calmly explained as he took the lead once more.

After a long minute of silence, the pair started to notice it.

"L-Laurent..." Nah uttered out.

"Give it some time, I'm sure we'll reach the exit," The mage reassured, despite the corridor never ending for yet another minute.

"Now that I'm paying more attention," Nah continued. "There's a strong sensation of mana creeping from those walls-"

As if on cue, the hallway lit up with the help of torches; in a domino effect. Revealing an endless hallway in front – and behind – of the time travelers.

This time, the older of the two spoke up in a grave tone. "Nah, if I recall, one didn't sense energy from this place."

"I didn't, I swear! You know very well that I don't lie, and there's no reason to why I would lie!"

His eyes soften as he turned to face the manakete. "My apologies, my intentions were pure. For something to hide its powers against a dragonkin.., only dangerous individuals could do such a thing."

A chill ran down Nah's spine. "You couldn't possibly mean..."

"Either a highly trained caster or what we were accustomed to fighting, back in our time," Laurent looked towards the direction they were walking away from. "The usage of powerful Elder magic."

Instincts kicked in suddenly, Nah took out her stone and positioned herself in front of the mage with narrowed eyes.

Two warping runes appeared in front of the duo as Nah transformed into her dragon form, Laurent swiftly took out a tome and took aim at the incoming Risen.

"Heed my call, Elwind!"

"Get away from us!" Nah's distorted voice was followed by a crunching sound as she bit one of the undead.

Together, they defeated the corpses that attempted to ambush them.

"As expected, dark Elder-Magic is at work," Laurent adjusted his glasses and proceeded to move forward. "Nah, locate its source."

Said manakete – who was glistering in a pink hue – lifted her snout and smelled the air. "Further down the hall, on the right, a great amount of energy reeks from the walls."

"Very well, let us head over to the location in question."

They both rushed over to the source of magic, but upon arrival, they were disappointed to find a regular stone wall blocking their way.  
Laurent gingerly traced the obstacle with a hand, the hair on his neck stood up, signs of highly concentrated mana being poured into a single spot.

The mage decided to voice out a plan. "Let us wait here. The amount of energy detected here is impossible to maintain for long periods of time."

"You know this type of spell, Laurent?" Nah's distorted voice echoed.

He nodded. "A spell that manipulates time... Dark magic that can revert something broken – or dead – to its original state."

Suddenly, the wall before them collapsed and revealed a large room as Laurent finished speaking.

"However," He channeled magic as a group of Risen was revealed to be behind the collapsed rubble. "The caster can't hold it for long, causing the object to revert back."

Not wasting any time, the time travelers fought against their usual enemies. A trait that gave them the advantage, especially against the weaker undead that walked this time period.

* * *

 _Location: Regna Ferox, Western Capital._

A nervous tactician stood in front of a door, his mind was racing all while he raised a fist. "... Lucina?" He knocked on the wooden frame, gulping as he heard movement.

"Just a second, Robin!" The princess called out.

"T-Take your time, no need to rush," He let out a small sigh as he backed away from the door, leaning against the wall behind him before speaking. "Man, just relax Robin.., no need to be feeling this way..."

His downcast eyes focused on the wooden flooring as his mind was clouded with thoughts.

The pair has spent time together alone numerous times, but that was when they saw each other as close friends. However, now that they're in a relationship, the Plegian can't help but wonder if he should treat the princess the same way as before or not.

To be exact, Robin was at a complete loss as to what to do while courting someone. Unfortunately, his own internal struggles, deafen his senses.

"Robin, is everything fine?"

Looking up in surprise, he found a royal wearing casual clothing, the same one that was used back in the southern islands.

A simple brown coat that hid a dull colored dress underneath.

"Heh, it's refreshing seeing you in that." Robin allowed himself to smile.

"We don't want to draw too much attention now, do we?" Lucina pulled up her hood before returning a smile of her own.

This gesture captivated the white-haired knight, causing him to clear his throat after noticing his stare. "I know a place down near the harbor. They're usually still open an hour after the sun sets."

As they walked, Lucina spoke up. "Informed as always, Sir Frederick."

"Please don't say such- wait, did you just make a joke?"

"I may have learned a thing or two from you after a year. Was it good?"

Robin laughed in delight. "Yeah, it was actually pretty decent! Although, you shouldn't develop my sense of humor."

Lucina responded with a quizzical look. "May I ask what is wrong with your sense of humor?"

"Let us just say mine is more of a teasing kind." He reflected back on how Chrom would yell at him, or punch him playfully in the shoulder in mock annoyance. "Not the type to make both parties laugh you see."

"Hmm.., well I find them funny once I put some thought into it."

Pride swelled up in the tactician's chest. "Ha, you think so?" He rubbed the back of his head modestly.

"Truly, I do."

As they approached a door, Robin took a few rushed steps forward, opening it for the princess. They were now outside, continuing their walk side by side. The nervousness they both secretly had was gone with the wind.

 _'I never expected for this to happen,'_ Robin looked up ahead with an uplifted expression. _'But I'm truly grateful to be able to be here. With Lucina by my side, I know the future will change to what is right.'_

* * *

 **AN: Alright, let me get this one thing out of the way.**

 **I have some bad news, and it shows in this chapter. The file containing this one got corrupted twice, luckily the second time I had a backup, however, it did ruin its length.**

 **As you can see, it's short, and that's due to me trying to reach the deadline and reconstructing things that were supposed to be ready. Try as I might, I can't remember every single expression that I wished to add and so most of it is lost for good.**

 **My misfortune doesn't stop there though, the chapter following this one also got corrupted. Luckily, that one was merely a basic premise and wasn't filled to the brim with detailed writing that I had lost in this current chapter.**

 **So think of this as a filler chapter.**

 **But with bad news, also comes some good news! Summer is nearing, and that means vacation! So my schedule will free up drastically and I'll be able to support this hobby of mine a lot more.**

* * *

 **Sidenote:**

Did you know this story is a year old now? It's amazing to see how much support it got, and how my writing style changed alongside it. I can't express my gratitude enough!

 **Laurent's comment on the dark magic being used:**

This part was a small reference to Henry's usage of magic during his support conversations with Sumia! I decided to make use of said dark magic techniques and implement it into Nah's recruitment chapter.

* * *

 **Once again, I want to apologize and say thank you for your patience and support.**

 ** _May we meet again, in the next chapter._**


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